Despite the inherent cheese factor, the Enya-meets-porn music soundtrack and enough Spandex to span the globe, Cirque du Soleil has become one of the biggest international act ever (other than Robbie Williams, of course) brought to the Middle East.

Part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Canadian troupe is performing Quidam in Dubai until February 10. The show comprises 50 performers from 13 countries who tell the story of an anonymous world transformed into a place of hope and connection through tying themselves into knots, flipping through the air and much much wildly theatrical gesturing. Ticket sales show that over 40,000 people in Dubai have seen the show already, and that it has broken the Middle East record of ticket sales for international entertainment.

They are saying that since this show is just a test for the Middle Eastern market, it is much smaller and nothing compared to the sort they do in Las Vegas. Hard to believe, as the show is stunning as is. Held in a special tent built next to Ibn Battuta Mall, and tickets are priced from AED150-800 ($40-220), tickets aren't cheap. We recommend the AED350 ($95) tickets for reasonable seats. Schedules and other details on Quidam can be found here.