Cirque du Soleil is searching for a new location in the Barcelona metropolitan area after being told to vacate its site in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat by October 2026. The city council has decided to reclaim the 19,000-square-metre plot in the Bellvitge neighbourhood, ending an agreement that was originally intended to last until 2030.
The decision was made unilaterally by the Ajuntament de l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which plans to repurpose the land for public facilities and green spaces as part of its evolving urban agenda. Council officials, including Urban Agenda 2030–2050 Councillor José Antonio Alcaide, stated the city's needs have changed and now prioritise community infrastructure and open areas. Residents are being consulted on the future use of the site.
The plot, located on Travessia Industrial near the municipal stadium, has hosted Cirque du Soleil every two years since 2018, beginning with the show Totem. The final production at the site will be Kurios, set to premiere in October 2026. The company had considered L'Hospitalet its longest-standing European base under the 2016 agreement, which organisers described as a statement of intent rather than a legally binding contract.
Dani Pérez, head of contracts and permits for Cirque du Soleil, confirmed the company would have preferred to stay, praising both the venue and its relationship with the council. However, relocating presents significant logistical challenges. The circus requires a large, accessible site with infrastructure for water, drainage, communications, and visibility, plus the ability to install 1,250 stakes and handle heavy equipment.
We have seen three spaces with possibilities, but we are still in early negotiations,
The company is evaluating three potential sites in the wider Barcelona area, though no details have been disclosed. A long-term agreement is essential to justify the investment needed to adapt a new location.
Meanwhile, L'Hospitalet is advancing major urban redevelopment in Bellvitge, including the undergrounding of Gran Via, the expansion of Gran Via 2 shopping centre, and the creation of a new 22-hectare urban forest with 3,000 trees, part of a 66-million-euro investment in green infrastructure. The area is also slated to become a major biomedical hub, as confirmed in municipal planning documents such as the Projecte de construcció del parc ecològic de Bellvitge and the Pla parcial d'urbanisme del polígon del sector de Bellvitge, held in the Arxiu Municipal de Hospitalet de Llobregat.
Primary sources: inventariarxiu.l-h.cat, districtecultural.l-h.cat, l-h.cat. Reported by elpais.com, RUSSPAIN.com, ARA, elDiario.es Catalunya, larazon.es, Por Newsroom Infobae Seguir, catalannews.com, Alfonso L. Congostrina, Àlex Rebollo / Manuel Arenas, catalunyadigital.es, salirporbarcelona.com, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, El Llobregat, lhdigital.cat, e24diari.es.
