MUMBAI: Indian audiences will very soon experience the magnificence of the world’s biggest live-entertainment phenomena, Cirque du Soleil, brought to India by BookMyShow.

Citibank has come on board as the presenting partner for the world premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘BAZZAR’ in India. The shows will start November 2018 finding their way home in Mumbai from 15 November 2018 and Delhi from 25 December 2018 before moving to other markets.

Unlike any other entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil will not just visit Mumbai and Delhi but will infuse in the city’s culture with the set up of The Big Top, the main tent, where the performances will take place. The Big Top itself is a wonder that is set up over a period of six days and stands tall at 19 meters (62 feet) high and is 41 meters (135 feet) in diameter accommodating 1500 people at once.

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President and CEO Daniel Lamarre added, "Cirque du Soleil has been looking at India as a potential market for quite a while now. We wanted to do things right and introduce the brand appropriately to this new audience that was never exposed to Cirque du Soleil before. It is for this very reason that we put our trust in BookMyShow, who’s deep knowledge and understanding of the Indian market is essential for our successful presence in this country. With their help, our long-term objective is to establish a strong and lasting presence in India and to share our creativity with as many people as possible.”

BookMyShow’s long-term association with Cirque du Soleil is aimed at establishing India as a key market to open avenues for global entertainment. Cirque Du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 190 million spectators in over 450 cities on six continents. The company sells over 12 million tickets per year and has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,400 performing artists from close to 60 different countries.

Written and Directed by Susan Gaudreau, Cirque du Soleil – BAZZAR will perfectly capture the high-energy excitement, collision of sounds and colours, and showcase a meeting place of diverse characters recreating a traditional Indian ‘bazaar’.  Lead by their maestro in the show, the troupe comes together to invent a whimsical one-of-a-kind universe in a place where the unexpected is expected, the colourful group reimagines, rebuilds and reinvents vibrant scenes in an artistic, acrobatic game of order and disorder.

BookMyShow Founder and CEO Ashish Hemrajani said, “BookMyShow has been and will continue to play a huge part in the transformative journey of the live entertainment category in India. While it has personally been a lifelong dream to work with Cirque du Soleil, their entry into India with BAZZAR will re-imagine this category. We are excited to give our growing customer base in India the opportunity to get access to this global phenomenon,”

“Designing a show specifically to introduce Cirque du Soleil to a totally new audience was an exciting creative challenge,” explained Susan Gaudreau, Show Director. “It pushed the creators to find the essence of what we are and articulate it in a way that is universally understandable. With its story centered on the creative process and the energy found in the unexpected, BAZZAR shines a light on what is uniquely Cirque du Soleil. I am very honoured to be in India today to introduce BAZZAR to the Indian people and am very much looking forward to its premiere!”

Citi India Consumer Business Manager, Global Consumer Banking Shinjini Kumar, said, “We are excited to partner with BookMyShow for the world premiere of BAZZAR, a unique show crafted for India and the world by Cirque du Soleil. We are always looking for opportunities to bring world-class entertainment through our partners to our clients, who like to indulge in exclusive international experiences. Citi customers can look forward to making this an even more memorable event with our special offers and privileges. We cannot think of a better way to celebrate this festive season than to facilitate wholesome entertainment for our customers and their families.”

A cast and crew of 62 people will be travelling to India from over 13 different countries and close to 700 tonnes of equipment will be carried via 25 sea containers. The show will feature a range of acrobatic marvels ranging from teeterboard, portage, acrobatic bike, contortion, duo roller skate, duo trapeze, aerial rope, slack line and live music with one singer and two musicians on stage. With performances pairing imagination and impressive scenography, unique characters, remarkable aesthetics and acrobatic feats; ‘BAZZAR’ will feature key Cirque du Soleil elements. The tickets for the nearly two-hour spectacular will be available starting today exclusively on BookMyShow with prices starting just at INR 1,250 (different for both cities).

Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has also expressed his support for Cirque du Soleil’s India visit as this would boost tourism in the state by exposing the audiences to new artistic and cultural experiences.