Overview
- The December 23 performance at Manchester's AO Arena saw large numbers leave early, with one steward reportedly counting about 800 people exiting through a single door.
- Attendees criticised the production as poorly executed and not as advertised, saying the billed 'cirque' spectacle felt like an amateur panto with content some parents deemed unsuitable for children.
- Audience members cited adult-oriented jokes and off-topic gags as inappropriate for a family show, adding to complaints about low production values and confusing staging choices.
- The World's Biggest Productions defended the show as a panto-style event, pointed to positive reactions in Blackpool, said promotional clips reflected the acts, and noted it was never marketed as Cirque du Soleil.
- AO Arena said it does not control show content and directed unhappy customers to the producer's tickets@worldsbiggestproductions.com address, while a Facebook group has gathered hundreds of complaints and refund requests.