If you’re hoping to treat your family to a special night out in Doha this summer, you may have to dig deep into your pockets.
Seats for world-famous circus troupe Cirque du Soleil’s second visit to Qatar went on sale earlier this week.
Seats for the Dralion show range from QR250 to QR2000, which some fans on Twitter said was too high:
Took the family to Cirque last summer, certain it wasn’t this bad. I’m sorry, I’m not paying 1500 for decent seats for my family.
— Emily (@expatemily)
@expatemily I don’t understand! I wanted to take them to stomp and changed my mind when I saw the prices! Disney on ice was more reasonable
— Nasim Al-Sham (@nasnas_here)
The cheapest seats at last year’s Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco performance were QR130, some QR120 less than this year, for a performance in the same venue. Some seat categories have doubled in price, from QR250 last year to QR500 this year.
Comparisons
According to prices listed on Cirque’s website, Dralion’s Qatar shows are the most costly on the tour this year.
The least expensive seats in Nantes, France, the venue immediately before Doha, cost QR217 (EUR45) per adult, with a discount for children and students of QR175 (EUR36).
Dralion in Qatar offers no such discounts. Seats in Barcelona are cheaper still, with the best value full-price tickets starting at QR175.
Cirque du Soleil is by no means the only family show in Doha with high ticket prices. Stomp, which played to audiences at the Qatar National Convention Center last week, sold seats from QR299 – QR799.
Meanwhile, Disney on Ice, which begins tomorrow at the QNCC, has priced tickets from QR150 to QR1000. Prices from both shows are significantly marked up compared to when they are performed in their home country, the US.
While there are huge costs involved in bringing a touring production to Qatar, high ticket prices continue to push many families out of the market here.
Cirque du Soleil have not yet responded to our request for comment.
Do you feel that family-friendly shows are becoming too expensive in Qatar? Thoughts?
Credit: Photo courtesy of Cirque Du Soleil
