Stories

The Search for KÀ

Embark on an epic journey across a far-away kingdom with a brother and sister striving to fulfill their destiny.

A story of epic proportions will unfold right before your stunned eyes, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel. KÀ by Cirque du Soleil tells the adventure of a lifetime for our main characters, two siblings, twins, destined for something bigger than they could ever imagine.

We have a lot to celebrate this year and we felt like KÀ had more than deserved a place in the spotlight, since it’s turning 18 years old in 2023. Are you familiar with this explosive production?  

A Story of Regal Proportions 

Headed to a pageant held in their honor, the royal twins partake in a playful joust of swordplay. Little did they know, from the challenges awaiting them on their course across a territory at war, conflict would arise within the two and make them face the duality of KÀ.  

 

While at the pageant, an ambush attack by the antagonists of this epic tale – the Archers and Spearman – separates the twins who need to make their way back to each other and defeat their kingdom’s enemy. Fortunately, the twin sister is saved by her Nursemaid, escaping the fight on a boat. The twin brother, less fortunate, is left behind. Wounded and at the mercy of their soon-to-be captors, he’ll have to find his own way of escaping the Chief Archer’s den.

Many dangers are lurking in the shadows and many new friends will momentarily cross their path on their journey to victory.

Pyrotechnics, Puppets and Gravity-defying Decors 

Jaw-dropping acts are a common occurrence at Cirque shows. Not to play it off like it’s nothing, but anyone who’s been to this spectacle can tell you that they were left completely amazed by what they experienced. KÀ takes things a bit further!

Our 9-story-high theater is a sight to behold. Its humongous size allowed our creative team to go all out with the latest technologies and special effects that leave audiences in awe and wonder.

Some elements of the show border on the immersive territory – something that Cirque is dabbling more and more in! Each of the 1,950 seats of the theater are outfitted with a pair of speakers in the headrest. This allows sound effects to be targeted, manipulated, and customized to any of the 16 seating zones.  

The stage is a masterwork of engineering on its own. It can tilt through 100 degrees and rotate a continuous 360° while artists are performing. This is the secret to a successful illusion: the vertical battle scene that gives a unique top-view perspective to the spectators. Now you might understand why the theater is so vast.  

High ceilings also means that we could safely include pyrotechnics amongst the special effects. Throughout the performance, 120 fireballs and 90 pyrotechnic devices are fired. These red-hot fireballs reach 30 feet upwards and temperatures of 1,200°F.

Cirque is committed to never using real animals in their productions. To keep this oath, while also integrating the imagery of the animal kingdom, 7 larger-than-life puppets were created and included in the show. One crab puppet that took 1,300 hours of work to complete, an 80-foot-long snake and a myriad of smaller puppets are amongst the many animals brought to life by our artists.

The giant sea turtle, part of the beach scene, rolls around in yet another surprising illusion. Using sand would prove to be too challenging to manage and clean up for the crew, we opted to mimic the texture with 1 ton of granulated cork. 

How to Attend?

Visit KÀ’s show page to see when the next performances are and grab the best seats in the theater. To make your night with Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand Las Vegas even more memorable, you can opt for the Royal VIP Experience and enjoy exclusive perks! Learn more here.   

See you in Vegas!  

 

Watch a thrilling preview of this iconic Cirque du Soleil creation below!  

More articles about