Wait, there’s a Cirque du Soleil in Cancun, Mexico? Not only is there a show, but it’s a permanent show. That means it is not there for a season, it operates all the time.
When they say there’s not a bad seat in the house, it’s true. We were on the far edge and got to see almost everything. Some parts of the show were within 15 feet of where we were sitting. That’s not to say there are some seats that are better than others. If you’re sitting front and center, well, there’s a lot going on there. Really close to the action.
Cirque du Soleil JOYÀ is about an alchemist who wishes to pass on his book of knowledge to his granddaughter. Like all storylines, there are many adventures along the way. That leads to some astounding acrobatics in every location of the theatre. The lights and music are wonderfully coordinated to the action (dancing and aerial acrobatics) throughout the production.
The Overall Experience
When you first get there, you walk through an covered tiki walkway. There are a couple of bars and restaurants on your way to the theatre. In other places there are some talented bands playing with casual seating. It is encouraged to grab a drink and a snack and hang out for a while.
The theatre offers different levels of experience. The basic package is sitting on stools for the show, but you can also pay to get more percs. Premium seating, the show with drinks and the show with dinner and drinks included are some of the more upscale options. You choose your seat based on what you want to experience.
Seating chart was taken from the Cirque de Soliel website.
Don’t freak out about the listed price though, it’s in Mexican Pesos. At the time of this seating chart 50 pesos were worth about a US $1.
We didn’t have a choice because we decided to go at the last minute, and believe it or not only the least expensive seats were available.
It’s about 45 minutes down the road from the furthest spot in the “hotel zone”, but it’s totally worth the taxi ride!
The Show
WOW.
We’ve been to a fair amount of shows in theatres. In different cities, Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia, PA, Boston, MA, and New York, NY. We’ve also participated in a lot of shows. From acting, singing, lights and sound, we know what it’s supposed to look and sound like.
Whoever put this one together knew what they were doing.
There was a band at the beginning that played center stage. As they should be, they were top notch and good at entertaining the crowd.
Then there was the show itself. It was well written and choreographed. Adding the physical aspect of the aerialists and the acrobatics to the storyline in a cohesive manner is an art.
Without question, they nailed it.
There was storyline and action throughout the theatre. If you spoke the language, that certainly didn’t hurt. But, attendees didn’t have to speak the language to understand what was happening. It was that easy to follow.
At the end, some of the performers came out to pose with us!
It was exciting and worth the money spent. Highly recommended!