Cirque du Soleil’s trademark blue-and-yellow big top is now up at the Santa Monica Pier and ready for performances of the newest production Totem, which opens Jan. 17. The entire site set-up takes eight days.
The massive installation was raised Thursday, Jan. 9 by a team of more than 60 men and women, who worked for several hours to pound pegs, unfurl the canvas, and pushed more than 100 supporting poles to raise the roof of the exciting acrobatic production.
The big top stands 66 feet high and is 167 feet in diameter and 550 pegs are required to hold the big top firmly to 48,500 square feet of asphalt, providing seating for more than 2,600 people.
Totem travels via 65 trailers, carrying more than 1,200 tons of equipment.
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