Cirque du Soleil Corteo, The O2

The premise of a clown watching his own funeral take place may not seem like the starting point for a brilliant circus show, but if you know anything about Cirque du Soleil, then you won't be surprised that melancholy turns to celebration in Corteo, which arrives at the O2 in London this June.

Cirque du Soleil's Corteo is a gorgeous, surrealistic visual feast: performers swing from giant chandeliers, float from giant balloons, tumble on rotating bouncing beds, ride bicycles in midair, roll inside Cyr wheels and even perform a wacky rendition of Romeo & Juliet.

The carnivalesque celebration (can you spot the commedia dell'arte inspired characters?) made its debut in 2005 and has wowed more than 8 million people since its premiere.