Geert Chatrou becomes third person to whistle in London's Burlington Arcade after Sir Paul McCartney
World champion whistler and Cirque de Soleil star Geert Chatrou has become just the third person allowed to whistle at London's famous Burlington Arcade.
Whistling world champion Geert Chatrou has made history after becoming only the third person permitted to whistle at London's Burlington Arcade.
The performer behind the astonishingly talented ringmaster in Cirque de Soleil's acclaimed production 'Corteo' was granted the rare privilege of whistling inside the historic Arcade.
Geert is only the third person in over 200 years to be exempted from the Arcade's famous no-whistling rule.
Burlington Arcade, opened in 1819, is renowned not only for its luxurious boutiques and timeless elegance but also for its Burlington Beadles – the uniformed guardians of its storied traditions.
One such tradition is the prohibition of whistling, which originally stemmed from concerns that pickpockets would use coded whistles to warn one another that the Beadles were approaching.
For many years, Sir Paul McCartney was the lone individual granted an exemption when he was politely asked by a Beadle to stop whistling during the 1980s – only for the Beadle to discover that the whistler in question was one of The Beatles.
A young boy is the only other person to be granted the unique honour.
Geert, Cirque de Soleil's 'Mr Loyal', has followed in these illustrious footsteps as the third person to be given permission to whistle.
His performance saw him pay homage to McCartney with a rendition of Beatles hit 'Love Me Do'.
He also performed the ABBA classic 'Mamma Mia' and his usual repertoire from 'Corteo'.
Burlington Arcade said: "For over two centuries, luxury resides at Burlington Arcade and has been a sanctuary of refinement and tradition, where history and elegance converge.
"Welcoming Geert Chatrou, a world-class artist of extraordinary skill, as only the third person permitted to whistle within these iconic walls, adds a remarkable chapter to our storied legacy.
"This rare moment beautifully harmonises the Arcade's grace with the creative brilliance of Cirque de Soleil."
Geert's whistling debut came in celebration of Cirque du Soleil 'Corteo', which runs at London's Royal Albert Hall until 2 March 2025. Click here for more information and tickets.
