Look up, wayyy up: there’s a circus giant downtown!
Isa Tousignant
Circus lovers, prepare for the invasion! This July 4 to 14, a ginormous, 52-foot steel structure in the shape of a giant will return to the Place Ville Marie Esplanade. But don’t worry, La Géante comes in peace: the outsize structure will act as living stage for incredible circus arts performances during the MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT C!RQUE festival.
A giant stage for extraordinary feats
The giant metal structure that stands tall on the Place Ville Marie Esplanade, dramatically set against the famous Ring, will be the site for extraordinary FREE performances daily throughout the festival. A stage of the most unusual shape, La Géante weighs a whopping 48,000 pounds, and towers of 52 feet high and 30 feet wide. Be among the thousands to enjoy the performances this year!
La Géante weighs a whopping 48,000 pounds, and towers of 52 feet high and 30 feet wide.
An outsize ode to joy
La Géante plays host to the Québec circus company The 7 Fingers, with shows every evening (except Mondays) at 6 and 9:30 pm. The show is an acrobatic ode to joy and excess performed by a troupe of gravity-defying acrobats who climb it, hang from it, fly from trampolines, dance vertically and fall from death-defying heights. It’s a thrill and a half to watch, and it’s set against an engaging musical soundtrack mixing orchestral and electronic flavours.
A circus festival like no other
La Géante is presented as part of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT C!RQUE, a circus festival that came about in 2010 as a collective dream shared by TOHU, Cirque Éloize, The 7 Fingers, Cirque du Soleil, the National Circus School and En Piste. It’s a veritable who’s who of this circus city’s greats, so you can imagine the fun at hand. This is the first North American festival dedicated to circus — and no one knows circus like Montréal.
From July 4 to 14, 2024, circus artists from around the world will take over parks, streets, rooftops, balconies and venues throughout the city with their outlandish, outstanding performances where circus arts meet dance, theatre, comedy and music. You can look forward to over 100 shows and endless free outdoor animations. Try to catch them all!
Isa Tousignant
Isa Tousignant is a Montréal-based editor and storyteller with a curiosity that runs deeper than most. She has chatted life philosophies with celebrity chefs, gemologists, arena rockers and furries. (All were transformative.) Her free time is spent designing jewellery and laughing at her husband’s jokes.