Cirque du Soleil's "Crystal" Brings Acrobatic Ice Spectacle to Acrisure Arena This Weekend

A weekend of spectacle and storytelling is unfolding in the Coachella Valley, with two major cultural events taking center stage.

Cirque du Soleil’s "Crystal" opens Friday night at 7 p.m. at Acrisure Arena — a unique show that brings the troupe’s signature acrobatics to a frozen stage. Described as a surreal playground on ice, "Crystal" fuses figure skating, aerial stunts, and live music for a visually stunning experience that runs through Sunday.

Ahead of the premiere, NBC Palm Springs will be speaking live with a Cirque performer to learn how these breathtaking feats are pulled off on ice. For those looking to attend, ticket links can be found on the newsroom tab at NBCPalmSprings.com.

Meanwhile, the Amdocs Film Festival continues at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. NBC Palm Springs’ own Olivia Sandusky will screen her special report Restoring the Salton Sea on Saturday at noon, and her follow-up Tribes of the Coachella Valley on Monday morning.

Among the standout world premieres is The Conspiracists, a provocative documentary by British filmmaker Liz Smith, with contributions from local ethnographer Noelle Cook. The film explores belief, misinformation, and empathy, following women involved in the January 6 Capitol riot — including one convicted participant and another, Ivana, who leads filmmakers on a surreal road trip through her "fifth dimension" worldview.

Despite its controversial subject matter, the filmmakers say their goal is understanding, not judgment. “It wasn’t until I got to know them as people that I realized we had some shared experiences,” said Smith.

The Conspiracists debuts Monday, March 31, at Amdocs.

Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley