by InTrieste
Interviews: Francis Jalbert, senior tour publicist for Cirque du Soleil; Francesco Granbassi, president of the Rossetti theater; Stefano Curti, managing director of the Rossetti theater
Cirque du Soleil has arrived in Trieste for the first time, transforming a large, long-vacant lot in the city center to host its acclaimed show Alegría. The production will run under the company’s iconic Grand Chapiteau through mid-July.
The event is notable not only for the show itself—which has attracted over 14 million spectators worldwide since its debut in 1994—but also for the substantial public-private investment required to prepare the area. Nearly €700,000 in infrastructure work was carried out to accommodate the touring company, including site clearing, electrical upgrades, and resurfacing. The costs were covered by the Rossetti Theater, the local producer, using funds from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
The performance space, spanning 30,000 square meters, is privately owned by Coop Alleanza 3.0 and was reportedly included in a proposed sale to an Austrian financial group—though the deal has been delayed multiple times.
According to theater officials, the initiative is expected to generate significant economic returns, with an estimated value of €6 million and the majority of ticket buyers—about 75 percent—coming from outside the region. Local leaders view the project as a test case for how the space could be used in the future.
“This is a space with enormous potential,” said Stefano Curti, managing director of the Teatro Stabile. “The city now has to decide how to make the most of it.”
