This marks Cirque du Soleil’s fourth ascent to Alicante’s grand stage, following previous visits in 2008 and beyond. The upcoming run, from July 14 to August 21, will be the edition I present. Luzia will be the show, staged after a contractual agreement with the City Council that transformed a space into a temporary headquarters and extended the company’s footprint on the beachfront. The project occupies 19,000 square meters on the shore, with San Juan named as the setup site.
The production will bring a team of 120 people to Alicante, including 46 artists and the remainder made up of technicians and staff. Assembly begins on June 30 and disassembly stretches into September, so the operation spans over two months. A diverse crew from 25 nationalities will live in the city during this residency, while Cirque du Soleil engages 150 local recruits for the stay. So far, 60 percent of tickets have been sold outside the city, indicating broad audience reach.
These figures were provided by Montse Man, Director of Marketing and International Markets for Cirque du Soleil, who anticipates a strong cultural and economic impact for Alicante. The city’s mayor, Luis Barcala, highlighted how the show enriches the local cultural calendar and boosts the economy during peak season, noting that previous cycles drew about 95,000 spectators across the company’s visits to the city. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]
Alicante adapts the plot to host Cirque du Soleil in Playa de San Juan. Spain stands as a pivotal country for Cirque du Soleil, now in its 24th year, with 14 different shows reaching 19 cities and millions of participants. Alicante has always held a special place in the company’s touring map, and the city becomes the temporary HQ for this engagement. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]
Four-year renewable agreement. The deal spans four years, with two possible extensions of two years each. The City Council offers 19,000 square meters of land that previously housed a caravan area, now repurposed to host a show every two years. Cirque du Soleil pays a nominal fee of 10,998 euros each engagement, a figure that helps promote the Alicante brand on the company’s advertising and online materials. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]
The mayor notes that an initial investment was directed toward site adaptation, which remains cost-effective relative to the anticipated returns in accommodation, maintenance, and rentals, a calculation that far exceeds the upfront outlay. Manresa emphasizes that naming Alicante on the national stage offers a lasting boost to the city’s profile and branding. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]
Cirque du Soleil returns to Alicante with Luzia. Two other temporary headquarters in Spain have included Madrid and Hospitalet de Llobregat. The company’s representatives described Madrid as a longtime partner, with the touring space extended to Hospitalet for additional seasons. The main challenge identified is managing parking and traffic, common in the summer months when the city sees heavy influxes of visitors. Barcala plans to fence unused portions of the site to be used as a parking area, ensuring circulation remains smooth during the residency. Manresa will oversee a 6,000-square-meter park area adjacent to the venue, and local police reports suggest one lane of the nearby street could operate in either direction as needed. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]
The image of the show Luzia will be highlighted during the residency. Cirque du Soleil’s presence in the area includes the potential for up to 2,500 spectators per performance, with tickets already on sale for midweek to weekend shows. Luzia, a production created and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, invites audiences into an imagined Mexico where light and dream converge. The show blends acrobatics and striking visual elements and invites the public to a journey that feels both real and fantastical, bridging traditions with contemporary spectacle. It features scenes that evoke a cinematic panorama, from oceans to smoky ballrooms and expansive deserts, capturing the many facets of Mexican culture through a modern lens. The production also marks the traveling company’s first incorporation of rain as a deliberate element of the performance, marking a new dimension in Cirque du Soleil’s touring experience. [CIRQUE DU SOLEIL]