Cirque Le Soir – If You Don’t Know Don’t Worry

There is soon to be a big, new name on the Shanghai nightlife scene, guaranteed to make a lasting impression on its guests and promising to leave its competitors quaking in their boots at the sight of the signature Cirque Le Soir Cast of international performers.

Cirque Le Soir’s History

Cirque Le Soir was originally founded in the heart of Mayfair, London in 2009 by Ryan Bish. After graduating from De Montfort University, Bish realized that there was a gap in the entertainment market and began to conceptualize themes and performances for renowned nightlife venues in London. Bish played a pivotal role in the establishment of a British luxury club where he introduced unique performances such as tattooed models, fire breathers and aerial performers.

It is not hard to understand why Bish then went on to start his own venue, Cirque Le Soir, in 2009. He wanted to take the performance experience even further and create a thrilling, circus-influenced clubbing night, incomparable to anything else available on the nightlife circuit. Cirque Le Soir’s guests were paraded with live world-class circus performances by a mind-boggling cast of performers.

Naturally, Cirque Le Soir soon became synonymous in London with royalty, A-List celebrities and the social elite with guests including the likes of Madonna, Jude Law, Usher, Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, Jessy J, Katy Perry, Gerald Butler, Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo Di Caprio and Princess Eugene, with photos of their visits splattered across the front-pages.

Cirque Le Soir’s Global Expansion

Due to Cirque Le Soir’s unique concept and its storming success, the nightclub soon caught the eyes of international franchisers and in 2011 the Pragma Group opened the first Cirque Le Soir venue, outside London, in Dubai. That club is now heralded as the most exclusive circus nightclub in Dubai with top acts including the signature Cirque Le Soir sideshow freaks.

The Pragma Group have now turned their sights to Shanghai in order to continue rolling out the circus tent to some of the best party capitals in the world right now. Shanghai’s Cirque Le Soir will be opening at the historical Bund 22 building in September and has joined forces with Bund 22 along with Michelle Lee for this exciting project.

There is also a Cirque Le Soir expansion strategy that will span to other destinations in Asia.

Cirque Le Soir in Shanghai

The Shanghai nightlife scene has definitely been missing something but Talk Magazine hadn’t been able to figure out quite what it was… until now. Much like when Cirque Le Soir founder Bish wanted to bring something new to the nightlife scene in London, the Pragma Group and Bund 22 understood that there was a niche in the market for an extraordinary clubbing experience in Shanghai. The ever-evolving playground that is Shanghai should be the perfect host for Cirque Le Soir’s third circus-themed venue.

The 450 capacity Bund 22 nightclub will boast several stages; a central catwalk, prime view VIP tables and an indoor funfair area complete with an authentic fairground experience. Caricatures and make-up artists will also join the celebrations with photo-booths on hand to capture the excitement.

Guests will be welcomed at the door by Cirque Le Soir’s ringmaster before being met by a range of other themed performers including Chinese acrobatic aerial shows, the big friendly giant and a champagne thunder drummer.

The innovative and original performers truly are what make the circus-themed night so unique and popular, therefore Cirque Le Soir invests heavily in them. There is a very strong focus on a rotating, international and local group of circus performers with all costumes being tailor-made for the specific act.

The venue at Bund 22 has also been custom built to cater for the very specific nightclub and has taken into account the optimal performance space and design needed for its performers. Talk has also been told that the catwalk stage in the middle of the venue will also lend itself nicely to strong fashion partnerships.

Behind the project there is an experienced management team, make-up artists, stage managers and costume designers. Talk has been informed that there will be a strict door policy and a RSVP is essential due to the small yet exclusive capacity of the venue. Expect this club to have an extremely high-end boutique vibe with a table-service. Cirque Le Soir have also let slip to Talk that they hope to welcome international artists on a monthly basis as well as establishing themed-nights every night of the week, although the details of these themes are being kept firmly under the ringmaster’s belt.

Cirque Le Soir is a celebrity favorite as they feel at home in the stage-like venue with parades of performers all around them. If you think that Cirque Le Soir is also good enough for you, make sure to check out the new club when it opens in September.

With a roaring success in London and Dubai, Cirque Le Soir has evolved into one of the most talked about nightlife concepts in the world, with its unique circus experience and internationally renowned hospitality. Let's see what Cirque Le Soir’s future has in store for Shanghai.