Review: Cirque KOOZA Dazzles Melbourne With Larger Than Life Magic

★★★★★

The Scoop Cirque du Soleil Kooza Melbourne Australia

Prepare to have your jaw firmly planted on the floor. Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA has arrived at Flemington Racecourse, bringing with it a thrilling explosion of acrobatics, colour and larger-than-life magic.

From gravity-defying stunts to moments of pure theatrical wonder, this spectacular production will keep audiences gasping, cheering and completely spellbound.

With unique artists from 15 different countries around the world, they have come together in Melbourne to kick off their 2026 Australian tour, after performances in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Playing across an acrobatic journey that stories with perfect clowning, KOOZA is housed within themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. Each artist will challenge your belief in what you know to be real. Emotions will be heightened. Senses will be tested.

After a whole week of set-up, around 100 workers have completed the big top push that forms the exceptional arena, where everything feels alive! Bringing it all together requires absolute precision to build the house that holds excitement overload.

As the opening night audience entered the space, there was a buzz of intense suspense and absolute wonder. Our eyes widened at the bright lights, and when the music filled the tent, there was a blur of comedic colours, swishes of energy, smiles, silliness, explosions of popcorn, and gushing wind. And, BAM! We set off on a thrilling experience.

Opening the show is an ‘Innocent’ with a little kite flying by Kazakhstan artist Alexander Yudintsev. He also works absolute wonders with a rotating Cyr Wheel. But like anyone trying to catch the wind, it isn’t easy.

Enticed by American trickster Kevin Beverley, suddenly we were transported into a world where clever clowns Mark Gindick (USA), Miguel Berlanga Madrono (Spain), and Duncan Cameron (Canada) had us smiling from ear to ear. Our grins were so wide because everything they did was purposefully hilarious.

To create an aura of mystique on this journey, the vocalists and band enveloped us in music as we were invited into this new place. The mix of comedy and soundscape transported us to something exotic. It was weird, wondrous, and more than incredible. Click those heels because this is definitely not anything close to home!

Our imagination was spinning as were faced with jaw-dropping contortion by the seamless Mongolian artists Sunderiya Jargalsaikhan, Ninjin Altankhuyag and Sender Enkhtur. There were moments where their flexibility took us to an unknown dimension.

The talented Mizuki Shinagawa from Japan dropped from the sky in stunning beauty, waving around on her aerial silks. Her skill felt like the most elaborate ribboning wrapping up a present.

Wheeling through next, the Ukrainian duo Anastasiia Shkandybina and Dmytro Dudnyk were flawlessly composed and masterful on the unicycle. Their act is a timeless piece of circling, rotating and balancing.

Just before we hit intermission, we were faced with hair-raising high-wire mastery, with Spaniards Vicente Quiros, Roberto Quiros Dominguez, Jhon Brahyan Sanches joining Colombian Flouber Sanchez, bringing out all the gasps and cheers.

Their footwork as they skipped, danced, jumped on and over each other, while the wire was stretched out in the air, was miraculous. All that they do is beyond astonishing.

After a short interval to catch our breath, the second act presented us with darker movement. Columbian Jimmy Ibarra Zapata and Russian Ivan Zhernakov gave us a completely mind-blowing treat as they challenged the Wheel of Death. Terrifyingly amazing; we could not look away!

Following this, Israeli artist Eden Bahar played the most remarkable drum solo, while the audience encouraged the clowns once more.

Russian Victor Levoshuk displayed breathtaking skill when balancing on chairs, giving us controlled movements, precise backbends and high-rise balances, challenging gravity and the world as we know it!

The final act saw the group take challenges to new heights on the teeterboard, flying through the air with somersaults and flips. Stilts are involved, and legs are strapped to a single pole for a smooth landing.

Glistening with elaborate detail, the costumes lent the performers an unearthly presence, turning feats of human skill into something almost divine. This colourful mayhem is bright and luminous, matching the joy, warmth and wholehearted laughter that filled the big top.

As the music soared into the evening sky and the lights dance above the audience, KOOZA becomes a truly uplifting experience, with the entire creative team and troupe transporting us into a vibrant new world of wonder and magic.

Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA is an exhilarating explosion of colour, movement and imagination that captivates from beginning to end. Enchanting, uplifting and genuinely awe-inspiring, it is quite simply one of the finest circus experiences imaginable.

Cirque du Soleil KOOZA runs to 19 July in Melbourne. It then tours to Brisbane and Sydney. See dates below.

Tickets: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/melbourne/kooza/buy-tickets

Website: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza

Socials: https://www.instagram.com/kooza.cirquedusoleil/