After overcoming receivership, Cirque du Soleil celebrates its debut in Brazil

With numerous passages through Brazil in shows such as Ovo, Alegría, and Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil returns to the country, more specifically to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The last presentation of the entertainment entourage was in 2019. The return, starting in September, is symbolic in several aspects.

It is the resumption after a two-year break without shows due to the pandemic, a new cast that has not performed for 30 months, and a new economic phase for the Canadian company.

Cirque du Soleil announced its receivership in Canada in June 2020, the pandemic was one of the aggravating factors, and the measure aimed to contain a process that could lead the company to bankruptcy.

Among the reasons, a series of shows were canceled worldwide due to the pandemic. In March 2020 alone, 44 shows were interrupted. At the time, the company laid off more than 3,000 employees and reached US$1 billion in total debt.

“For the past 36 years, Cirque du Soleil has been a highly profitable and successful organization,” said Daniel Lamarre, the company’s CEO, when the recovery began, defending the ability to resume operations.

The process lasted until November 2020. Last week, commenting on the circus’ return to Brazil, Alan Adler, CEO of IMM Sports and Entertainment, stressed the importance of this resumption and how symbolic it is for the company and the Brazilian entertainment ecosystem.

“Cirque du Soleil returns to Brazil in an extraordinary circumstance after the bankruptcy process, with a new interpretation of the experience. Naturally, we found challenges in bringing this tour based on many learnings. São Paulo is the first city where Bazzar will be performing again, a reunion after two and a half years, and, of course, everyone’s anxious to ensure the safety, quality, and experience of the show,” Alan said at a press conference last week.

A partner of Cirque du Soleil in recent years, Bradesco continues to support the show. Nathália Garcia, head of marketing at the bank, reinforced the importance of the event for the company’s sponsorship platform and the promotion of culture.

“The support to Cirque du Soleil reinforces our mission to promote culture, experience, and innovation. In this period, when the shows were interrupted, we naturally had a phase of conversations, but it was very smooth, and it is a reason for joy to have the circus back in Brazil.”

The show will have sessions in São Paulo from September 8 to November 27, at Villa-Lobos Park, and Rio de Janeiro from December 8 to 31, at Riocentro’s parking lot.

In the new Cirque du Soleil season, other sponsors, such as Fiat, will have spaces set up with different experiences for the audience before the beginning and during the intermission of the performances.

“We believe that sponsoring the Bazzar show is a natural association with technology and innovation, and it couldn’t happen at a better moment, since we will be launching this great milestone for the new phase of Fiat in Brazil and that it will have an important visibility to an audience interested in our coupe SUV,” says Herlander Zola, Senior Vice President of Fiat in South America.

With information from Forbes

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