Review: Cirque du Soleil - Echo

A few months back, Inna purchased two tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil Echo show in San Francisco (during a Black Friday sale). We have always enjoyed watching Cirque du Soleil's many shows, including the following:

• 2001 - "O" (Bellagio, Las Vegas)
• 2007 - Kooza (San Francisco)
• 2011 - "O" (Bellagio, Las Vegas)
• 2011 - The Beatles Love (Mirage, Las Vegas)
• 2011 - KA (MGM Grand, Las Vegas)
• 2014 - Amaluna (San Jose)
• 2019 - Volta (San Jose)
• 2023 - Mystere (Treasure Island, Las Vegas)
• 2023 - Michael Jackson One (Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas)
• 2023 - Corteo (San Francisco)
• 2024 - Kooza (San Jose)
• 2025 - Echo (San Francisco)

Since Cirque du Soleil was playing near the Chase Center, we decided to park at UCSF Owens Street Garage (which turned out to be free!) Usually, parking in downtown San Francisco is crazy expensive.

As we walked toward the Cirque du Soleil Big Top, we noticed a Philz Coffee and stopped by for refreshments.

After the show ended, we stopped by for dinner at Dumpling Time, a nearby restaurant. It was almost empty, and everyone was watching the San Francisco 49ers play the Chicago Bears. The 49ers won!

We were excited about the new show, and we are happy to report that Echo was excellent. It featured the usual amazing acrobatic stunts, mixed with some clown comedy and special effects. There was not much of a story, but I didn't expect it.

According to Gemini: 

ECHO is Cirque du Soleil’s 20th Big Top production, a modern and visually distinct show that explores themes of evolution, symbiosis, and the connection between humans and the natural world.

Launched in 2023, it marks a departure from the traditional "baroque" and glittering style of older Cirque shows, opting for a sleek, minimalist, and high-concept aesthetic.

The Story and World

The show follows a young protagonist named Future and her canine companion, Ewai. After stumbling upon an enigmatic, two-story-tall Cube, they are transported into a fantasy world filled with animal and human characters.

• The Cube: The centerpiece of the stage is a massive, 20-ton rotating cube. It acts as a character itself—moving, tilting, and serving as a canvas for high-tech projections.

• The Theme: It focuses on the power of collaboration and how our smallest actions can ripple through the world. The characters work together to rebuild the cube, symbolizing the restoration of balance to our planet.

Signature Acts & Innovation

• Double Hair Suspension: One of the most talked-about acts involves two aerialists suspended solely by their hair. They perform a "mirror" routine that is both beautiful and physically staggering.

• Bungee Straps: A high-energy act where "The Cartographer" soars and dives at incredible speeds using elastic straps.

• Acrobatic Evolution: The show features Icarian games, teeterboards, and slackwire acts, but with a contemporary twist.

• The "Paper" Aesthetic: Many performers wear all-white costumes and intricate masks that look like delicate papier-mâché, representing a wide variety of animals (elephants, llamas, and lizards).

Creative Highlights

• Music: For the first time, Cirque has incorporated a group of six live vocalists who perform rich, harmonic choral music, moving away from the pop or world-beat sounds of previous shows.

• Minimalism: The set feels like a "paper-cutout" world, emphasizing white and light colors, which allows the vibrant colors of certain costumes to pop against the monochromatic background.

Here are a few video clips from the show:

 

   

 

Cirque du Soleil Echo Review

Highlights

• Impressive acrobatic stunts
• Amusing clowns
• Engaging soundtrack with musicians playing on stage

Lowlights

• Not much of a story

Links

• Cirque du Soleil 
• Chase Center
• UCSF Owens Street Garage
• Philz Coffee
• Dumpling Time