Entertainment

Cirque du Soleil ticket sales are double digits above pre-pandemic levels, CEO says

Key Points
  • Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre says ticket sales now are double digits higher than they were before the pandemic.
  • International shows will be scheduled in highly vaccinated markets.
  • The company is set to rehire around 95% of its artists for shows around the world.
Cirque du Soleil CEO on the path forward post pandemic
VIDEO3:2603:26
Cirque du Soleil CEO on the path forward post pandemic

With live entertainment bookings on the rise as more Americans get vaccinated and states ease coronavirus restrictions, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment CEO Daniel Lamarre told CNBC that there is a huge jump in ticket sales for the company's upcoming shows.

"Every day we sell the double-digit number of tickets that we used to sell on normal days," Lamarre said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Tuesday.

Rehearsals are currently underway for the company's shows "Mystere" and "O" which will open on June 28 and July 1, respectively, in Las Vegas. The company also owns Blue Man Group, which will open on June 24 in Las Vegas.

Cirque du Soleil will open internationally in markets that are highly vaccinated and will vaccinate all cast and crew members, Lamarre said.

The company stayed in touch with about 95% of its former artists and plans to rehire them as shows resume.

"They are willing to come back and start over again," Lamarre said.

The company also expanded its digital presence during the pandemic and developed a platform called CirqueConnect that it plans to continue to grow in the future.

"We have reached out to 62 million viewers around the world," Lamarre said. "What it says is that there is a market for us outside of just live entertainment."

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group CEO on the future of live entertainment
VIDEO0:0000:00
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group CEO on the future of live entertainment