In 2004, as Cirque du Soleil celebrated its 20th anniversary, they also looked to capitalize on their recent achievements and expand beyond their current strong holds of North America and Europe. Although numerous rumors had cropped up at regular intervals detailing how Cirque would expand to house resident shows in Berlin, London, New York, Singapore, Tokyo and other worldly cities, many never came to fruition. But with Cirque du Soleil finding successes in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan it was only a matter of time before Cirque landed on the shores of mainland Asia. On May 2, 2006, the Las Vegas Sands Corp and Cirque du Soleil announced their intention to create a one-of-a-kind show on the Cotai Strip, then under development in the People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of Macau. The show would later open in the Spring of 2008 in a 1,800 seat-theater built to Cirque specifications unlike anything we'd yet seen.

The title, ZAIA, comes from a Greek name meaning "life" and is also reminiscent of "Gaia," the living, self-aware, spirit of earth. The show presents the dream of a young girl who journeys into space on a strange, yet familar voyage of self discovery. As she travels, she encounters the beauty of humanity and eventually brings it back with her to share with the inhabitants of earth. ZAIA presents a young girl's perception of the stars and planets, space and infinity, all populated by a panoply of fantastic, literally out-of-this-world creatures. ZAIA is a show that highlights dance, movement and aerial acrobatics, soaring to the farthest reaches of space and human beauty.