Corteo, the most enchanting arena production from Cirque du Soleil is back in North America and heading to San Diego, set to charm audiences. This unique production, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, first premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in April 2005. Since its creation, the show has amazed over 10 million spectators, in 20 countries, on four continents.

Corteo will be presented at Pechanga Arena for seven shows from Wednesday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 10.

Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show combines the actor’s passion with the acrobat’s grace and power to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy, and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.

The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic, and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music turns lyrical and playful carrying Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.

In a Cirque du Soleil first, the stage is central in the arena. It divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half, giving a unique perspective of the show and a performer’s eye view of the audience. An atmosphere like never seen before in Cirque du Soleil arena shows. The set curtains, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and the central curtains, which were hand-painted, give a grandiose feel to the stage. This sets the tone for the poetry of Corteo.

Tickets for Corteo are available online exclusively to Club Cirque members. For a free subscription, visit clubcirque.com. General on-sale tickets at cirquedusoleil.com/corteo.

Performance schedule: Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Follow #CORTEO and #cirquedusoleil on social media.