Bucharest: November 16. Cluj-Napoca: December 9.
You’d better save those dates and book your flights, since these are the days some of the biggest stars of figure skating return to Romania, under the generous hat of Plushenko’s Kings on Ice. Well, some of them return, as the official poster of the event says – Evgeni Plushenko, Brian Joubert or Tomáš Verner – but for Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova this is the very first trip to Romania. For all of them, it will definitely be a series of shows to remember, since the Romanian fans have their own particular way of welcoming the champions, cheering and chanting and turning the arenas into bubbles of joy. We have no less than 6 legendary editions of Kings on Ice to prove it: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 (in Bucharest) and 2015 (in Cluj-Napoca).
by Florentina Tone
Throughout the years and Kings on Ice editions, we’ve been fortunate to see the performances of some of the best skaters in the history of the sport – let’s have a chronological list, shall we? Evgeni Plushenko, Surya Bonaly, Stéphane Lambiel, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, Nathalie Péchalat & Fabian Bourzat, Denis Ten, Tatiana Volosozhar & Stanislav Morozov, Florent Amodio, Júlia Sebestyén, Fleur Maxwell, Brian Joubert, Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev, Stefania Berton & Ondřej Hotárek, Laura Lepisto, Fumie Suguri, Tomáš Verner, Stefania Berton & Rockne Brubaker, Vanessa James & Morgan Ciprès, Kiira Korpi, Johnny Weir, Philippe Candeloro, Fiona Zaldua & Dmitry Sukhanov, Annette Dytrt, alongside acrobats Marie-Pierre Leray, Sergei Yakimenko, Alexander Liubchenko, Jean-Denis Sanchis. In all cases, Edvin Marton and his Stradivarius violin have proven wonderful allies – and it won’t be less different in Bucharest, on November 16th, and Cluj-Napoca, on December 9th, for this year’s presence of Kings on Ice cast in Romania.
But since this is a teaser and, at the same time, a generous invite to see parts of Romania while coming for the shows, let’s have them one by one, with the resemblances and small differences between them. And a footnote: the casts below are only the “backbone” of the shows; as in recent years, the number of skaters coming to Kings in Ice will only grow as the dates approach.
Bucharest. November 16. Titled „The Champions Return”, the show features Evgeni Plushenko, Adelina Sotnikova, Brian Joubert, Tomáš Verner, while Edvin Marton will play at his Stradivarius compositions from his latest recording, “Rock Symphony. From Vivaldi to Metallica”. The show will be hosted by the Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest (Sala Polivalentă) and the tickets are already on sale through www.eventim.ro.
During the presale (till July 25), tickets range from 106 lei (approx. 24 euro) to 420 lei (approx. 94 euro), depending on the category and distance from the rink. From July 26, the tickets will have prices starting with 125 lei (approx. 28 euro) to 495 lei (approx. 111 euro). You’ll find a currency converter here.
Cluj-Napoca. December 9. Three weeks later, the kings and queens of ice will perform at the Polyvalent Hall in Cluj, with the main stars of the show being Evgeni Plushenko, Adelina Sotnikova, Stéphane Lambiel and Brian Joubert; as in Bucharest, later guests are to be confirmed during the year. And since the winter holidays will be fast approaching, Edvin Marton will play alongside the famous Vienna Strauss Orchestra, turning the show into a joyful feast.
The first 1.000 tickets purchased receive a 20% discount and are priced between 88 lei (approx. 20 euro) and 396 lei (approx. 89 euro), while the rest will vary from 110 lei (approx. 25 euro) to 495 lei (approx. 111 euro).
No time like the present to attend the show(s) and see bits of colorful Romania.
FURTHER READING – previous editions
2014: Kings and Queens of Ice in Bucharest, on October 7th
Kings on Ice Olympic Gala in Bucharest: what a night this was!
Flying hearts at Kings on Ice Olympic Gala
Brian Joubert: “It was a very good moment for me to stop competing”
Kings on Ice Olympic Gala: all eyes on Stéphane Lambiel
Tomas Verner at Kings on Ice Olympic Gala: a (first) visit to remember
Evgeni Plushenko: “If I stay healthy, if I don’t have a problem, maybe Korea…”