Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Vancouver Park Board approves gourmet cabaret cirque for a new location

Last year’s noise complaints gave cause to change the location and implement other noise-cancelling measures
Bacio Rosso
The interior of the spiegeltent where Bacio Rosso takes place is lush red velvet lined with 2,000 bevelled mirrors.

Canada’s first-ever gourmet cabaret cirque will be returning at the end of 2021 but the show has been moved to a new location due to last year’s noise complaints.

Bacio Rosso Gourmet Cabaret Cirque, described as Moulin Rouge meets Cabaret, made its debut run three years ago between Nov. 1, 2018, and March 10, 2019. The cabaret took place in the south parking lot at Queen Elizabeth Park and although 99 per cent of attendees agreed the location was suitable, six to eight nearby homes submitted 45 noise complaints due to the show’s dependency on diesel generators.

At a Vancouver Park Board committee meeting on Monday, board members heard a presentation on the cabaret making a case for it continuing at a new location. Along with the proposed location -- the Burrard Civic Marina land storage area -- came fixes to the noise complaints including increased tent insulation and the utilization of nearby power hookups.

Despite the complaints, the show was enjoyed by over 18,000 guests and was acknowledged as a strong success. The whole thing unfolds under an antique Belgian “spiegeltent” (travelling tent) and features a gourmet meal served while acts perform in the middle of the intimate setting. The interior of the spiegeltent is lush red velvet lined with 2,000 bevelled mirrors and accented with handcrafted woodwork. A cast of entertainers from around the world wowed audiences with acts from magicians, jugglers, trapeze artists, contortionists, clowns, singers and comedians.

Board members heard from several speakers during the meeting, the vast majority of which were in support of the move. Multiple speakers cited the city’s need for some fun during the dark days of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the jobs it would bring to Vancouver’s struggling entertainment industry.

After the presentation and a question and answer period for the speakers, board members unanimously approved the event to be held at the new location between Nov. 2021 to March 2022. The exact event dates for the show will be determined later in 2021 due to uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic.