Cirque du Soleil's First Show on Ice Down Under Has Added a Heap of Extra Dates to Its 2023 Tour
Touring over winter, this combination of trapeze, juggling, aerial acrobatics, figure skating and extreme skating on ice was always going to prove popular.
Stunning acrobatic sights, but on ice: that's Cirque du Soleil's latest spectacular show. Usually when the Montreal-based circus company hits cities around the world, it has audiences rolling up to its big top to see aerial displays and contortionist feats. But CRYSTAL is different — and, sliding into arenas so that it can get frosty, it's proving popular with Australian audiences before it even gets here.
Cirque du Soleil's first-ever ice show, CRYSTAL announced its debut Australia run for 2023 back in 2022. Haven't nabbed tickets yet? You now have extra chances. It won't arrive until winter — when else? — but the season has already become a hit, leading the circus to add an extra week of gigs in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth due to overwhelming demand.
CRYSTAL still features all the trapeze, juggling, aerial stunts, acrobatics and more that fans have seen and loved across the company's past 41 productions — seven traditional circus acts, in fact, including banquine and hand balancing — but then adds a cold surface rather than its usual stage setup. And, it includes figure skating and extreme skating as well, two disciplines that've never been featured in a Cirque du Soleil production before now.
When CRYSTAL heads Down Under, it'll mark Cirque du Soleil's first visit since KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities in 2019 and 2020, although that production's run was interrupted by the pandemic.
Also part of CRYSTAL, and another Cirque du Soleil first: remastered pop songs, including Beyoncé's 'Halo', U2's 'Beautiful Day', Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' and Sia's 'Chandelier', in the company's only touring show so far to use such tracks.
CRYSTAL has been doing the rounds worldwide since 2017, with more than 1.8-million people in 115 cities in 12 countries checking it out over the past five years. The all-ages show takes its name from the production's protagonist, who acts as the audience's guide as she follows her destiny to become herself.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S CRYSTAL — AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2023:
Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 30 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 13 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Thursday, August 17–Sunday, August 27 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Thursday, August 31–Sunday, September 3 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Friday, September 15—Sunday, September 24 — RAC Arena, Perth
Cirque du Soleil's Crystal tours Australia in July–September 2023. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the show's website.
Images: Matt Baker / Olivier Brajon.
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