A “human yo-yo,” bikes on a high wire and the “wheel of death.” Fans of Cirque du Soleil can expect all these daring displays and more at Kooza, the Canadian circus’ first San Francisco “big top” production since 2019. Tickets for Club Cirque members are available now, and passes for the general public will go on sale next week.
After announcing that it would bring its high-flying acrobatic performances back to the Bay Area in 2023 with the arena show Corteo, the Quebecois entertainment company shared today that it would bring one of its classic “grand chapiteau” spectaculars to the city in early 2024—making it the first such Cirque du Soleil presentation to be held in San Francisco since the start of the pandemic.
Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza, which made its U.S. debut in San Francisco in 2007, comes to Oracle Park from Jan. 17-March 10, 2024. The production follows the company’s forthcoming summer 2023 tour of Corteo to San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco’s Chase Center in August. Big-top shows or “grand chapiteau” Cirque du Soleil productions are distinguished from arena showcases because they are held inside a giant tent rather than in a venue, like Chase Center, which might host sporting events as well as concerts. These presentations can take up to eight days to set up and three days to deconstruct. The company modifies big-top shows for arenas and other types of theatrical spaces for touring.
Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza follows the journey of a mime called the Innocent into a fantastical world of carnies and leans into the Quebec-born company’s traditional circus roots. Audiences can expect Cirque’s signature blend of whimsical pageantry with slapstick humor—along with familiar circus acts turned up to 11. A dizzying wheel of death—which looks like two menacingly conjoined hamster wheels—spins suspended in the air powered by performers; an aerial silks act reportedly turns a woman into a “human yo-yo”; and a double high-wire act with four tightrope walkers balances not only props but also bicycles.
The last time Cirque du Soleil brought a big-top production to San Francisco was 2019’s Amaluna, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Tickets for Club Cirque members are available online starting today, June 20, and anyone can sign up for the virtual community for free. Tickets for the general public go on sale June 27.
Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza”
🗓 Jan. 17-March 10, 2024
📍 Oracle Park
🔗 cirquedusoleil.com/kooza