No more Cirque du Soleil for Docklands

Docklands will miss out on a significant tourism booster next year due to the development of Western Park.

Cirque du Soleil is bringing its production, Totem, to Melbourne in 2015, but it will be staged at Flemington Racecourse, rather than Docklands.

Cirque du Soleil staged productions at the Western Park site, at the end of Docklands Drive, in 2009 and 2013, which attracted thousands of visitors to Docklands.

Places Victoria general manager Simon Wilson said Cirque du Soleil was informed the site wouldn’t be available for future productions following the staging of Ovo in early 2013.

Mr Wilson said the site wasn’t available because Places Victoria was moving forward with the delivery of a permanent community and sporting facility for Docklands, with work on the site expected to begin in July.

The first stage of the development will deliver a sports field, a community pavilion, a children’s playground, new roads and a car park.

Long-term plans for the site include three multi-purpose sports courts, a barbecue and seating area, mid-rise residential development and a pedestrian bridge between NewQuay and Victoria Harbour.