In June 1984, Cirque du Soleil officially came together in part by contributions and summons by the Québec government (a $1.4 million budget). Their name, meaning "Sun Circus" or "Circus of the Sun", was created by the troupe's founder: Guy Laliberté. Once armed with an identity, Cirque du Soleil came together to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's (1491-1557) arrival.

For the festivities, Cirque du Soleil presented a very special show with artists from its troupe to others hired to help flesh out the skill set, such as: Le Cirque du Trottoir (from Belgium), Théâte Tel Quel (from Switzerland), La Fanfafonie (the band, from Quebec), Le Tap Sixtet de l'Ecole Nationale de Cirque, La Ratatouille, Chatouille, Angela Laurier, Gilles Ste-Croix with Les Echassiers de Baie St-Paul, and Les Marionnettes du bout du monde all in a 800-set blue-and-yellow tent in Gaspé, the very same place Mr. Cartier's voyager took him so long ago as he desperately tried to find a land route through to the Orient.

The show was a smash success (with tickets $2 for adults, $1 for children how could it not be?) and the artists, invigorated by its reception, took their creation on the road and visited a handful of cities nearby: Baie-Comeau, Baie St-Paul, Québec, Magog, Hull, and Sorel et Montréal. Over 30,000 spectators came to see the show, and Cirque du Soleil hasn't stopped since!