Montréal’s circus mecca resides in the working-class St-Michel district, and is a great place to see a show. This innovative complex (from the French expression tohu-bohu , for hustle and bustle), includes an arena designed only with circus arts in mind, Cirque du Soleil’s international headquarters and artists’ residence and the National Circus School. It was built on the sight of North America’s second-largest waste dump and the complex is now powered completely by methane gas from the landfill garbage beneath it.
You can visit the complex on your own (via guided audio tour in French), or on a guided 45-minute tour (in French only) that take place before shows. TOHU also hosts special exhibitions and outdoor activities (such as pétanque tournaments and bike rallies), and you can catch live performances here throughout the year. Visit the website or contact TOHU. Take the blue metro line to d’Iberville station and then hop onto bus 94 north (or walk 1km northwest up Rue d’Iberville).
