Le Cirque Arcanus is a stage show in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic that combines live performers, puppetry, special effects, and more.
Le Cirque Arcanus
About
Read the official description below.
In an attempt to bring Le Cirque Arcanus back to its former glory, ringmaster Skender has stolen Newt Scamander’s suitcase which contains fantastic beasts from around the globe. It’s up to circus employee Gwenlyn to rescue the creatures in this spectacular mix of live performers, amazing puppetry, dazzling special effects and more.
Guests can witness the curiosities of Le Cirque Arcanus, explore the strange and unusual acts as they stroll past the many sideshow booths on their way to the main stage, and enjoy a mix of live performers, puppetry, and special effects during the show.
Show Information
- Type: Action, family-friendly
- Duration: Approximately 23 minutes long
- Size restrictions: None
- Accessibility: Guests may remain in standard wheelchair or ECV, closed captioning and assistive listening are available, and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services are available on a daily basis for no charge at select shows
Does Le Cirque Arcanus accept Universal Express Pass?
Yes.
Are there strobe lights, fog, or other special effects?
Guests should be advised that Le Cirque Arcanus contains “sudden and intense sound effects, theatrical lighting effects, and performers in close proximity to the audience.”
Location
Le Cirque Arcanus is located in the center of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. It can be found in the large red tent once you enter the main area of Place Cachée.
Exterior
Section
The attraction’s exterior is a circus tent theme. Large red tents sit on the street at the center of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.
The tents are adorned with string lights, ropes, and poles, as if the tents have just been set up for the show. Other props surround them, including red crates, barrels, and stools.
Near the entrance to the tent are large banners attached to poles. The banner that sits over top of the entrance reads “Le Cirque Arcanus, Musée Des Curiosités Vivantes,” which translates to “The Arcanus Circus, Museum of Living Curiosities.” Red flames are depicted at the bottom.
The second banner has imagery of a woman surrounded by multiple serpents. The sign reads, “Maledictus Venu Des Profondeurs De La Jungle Indonésienne,” which translates in English to “Maledictus From the Depths of the Indonesian Jungle.” A small circle to the left of the serpents reads, “En Chair Et En Os!,” meaning “In the flesh!”
The final banner shows imagery of a large creature with fangs and sharp talons. Below him reads “Oni Oni” with a Japanese symbol. Under that is the phrase “L’incroyable Demon Japonais,” which translates to “The Incredible Japanese Demon.”
Outdoor Queue
The queue’s exterior is decorated with circus-themed props. Wooden crates and stools are stacked on top of one another and scattered haphazardly throughout the area. Ropes are tied to the tent poles and appear secured by anvils on the other end.
Ropes are attached to green poles, creating the line for the outdoor queue. Banners similar to the ones at the entrance of the show are placed throughout the queue. The one pictured above is identical to the banner above the tent entrance.
Another banner in line shows a woman hanging upside down from a broomstick. A stage curtain swirls around her with “Le Cirque Arcanus” above her. Written below her is “Celeste Aérienne” or “Celestial Aerial.” The phrase “La Voltigeuse Des Cieux Du Quidditch,” or “The Acrobat of the Quidditch Skies,” is written in yellow text at the bottom of the banner.
A green banner with a red border of stars titled “Grande Ménagerie” details various circus acts:
- Oni, “The Incredible Japanese Demon”
- Nundu, “D’une Taille Impressionnante il est Extremement Dangereux,” which translates to “Of an impressive size, it is extremely dangerous”
- Yeti, “Abominable Homme des Neiges de l’Himalaya,” the “Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas”
- Graphorn, “Extrêmement Agressif: Attention à ces Longues Cornes Pointueal,” which means “Extremely Aggressive: Watch out for those Long Pointy Horns”
- Kappa, “Les Démon des eaux Japonaises,” which translates to “The Japanese Water Demons”
- Leocrotta, “Notre Créature Possède les Plus Longs Bois d’Europe,” which translates to “Our Creature Has the Longest Antlers in Europe”
Another banner in the queue depicts three acrobatic performers wearing outfits of blue and white stripes with red and white polka dots. Below them is the headline “Sous-Êtres Acrobates – Incroyables Flying Underbeings,” which translates to “Acrobat Underbeings – Incredible Flying Underbeings.”
The last banner of the outdoor queue features fortune teller Madame Latsky, “La Reine Des Y Oyantes De Paris,” which means “The Queen of the Seeing Eyes of Paris.”
A blue shuttered door can also be seen in the outdoor queue near the tents. The doors and windows are covered in various flyers relating to Le Cirque Arcanus.
Indoor Queue
Upon entering the interior queue, a spiral structure sits at the center of one of the tent sections. The spiral resembles wooden planks with light bulbs underneath. Decorative blue and red balls with star designs appear to be rolling down the ramp, and trapezes hang from the ceiling.
Netting surrounds the bottom of the ramp, and more patterned balls sit on the floor.
The walls of the tent display banners, similar to those in the outdoor queue, that portray the various circus acts. Above is a banner showcasing the Flying Underbeings with the phrase “Venus Des Huits Coins De L’Hexagone Et Des Quatres Coins De La Terre,” meaning “Coming From the Eight Corners of France and the Four Corners of the Earth.”
The spiral structure from the center of the tent is pictured in the background of the poster, implying the structure is part of the Flying Underbeings act.
After passing the Flying Underbeings area, guests pass by “Lancer De Balle Enchantée” or “Enchanted Ball Throw,” which appears to be a sideshow game.
Next in the queue, guests pass by more signs and banners. This one is encouraging guests to “Dare to see beyond,” where you can “Feel like a goblin or a troll in the enchanted mirrors.”
Banners and artwork of other magical creatures decorate the interior tent walls. The banner on the left features various birds as it advertises “Extravagance De Plumage.”
Guests then pass by an exhibit for “Barbe á Papa Fraiche” or “Fresh Cotton Candy.”
The cotton candy is tied to strings, as it appears to be floating like balloons near the top of the display.
Banners on the wall advertise another circus act for “Mlle Belmont Contorsionniste.” The banner refers to her as “the elastic woman” of “phenomenal contortions.”
Entering the preshow area, a sign for Le Cirque Arcanus hangs above red curtains with the phrase “Entres ici pour l’evenement du siecle,” which translates to “Come in here for the event of the century.” The theater opens 30 minutes prior to each showing.
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