Close Up Magic or a Stage Show? How to Choose for Your Event
One of the first questions I ask when someone gets in touch is whether they want close up magic, a stage show, or both. Many people do not know the difference until they have seen each. This is a short guide to choosing.
Close-up magic
Close-up magic is performed a few feet from your guests, in small groups, while the event goes on around us. Think drinks receptions, networking, between courses at a dinner, or a garden party. People watch, react and then talk about it with each other. That conversation is much of the point, especially at a corporate event where guests may not know one another.
It works best when guests are standing and mingling, or seated at tables. It needs no stage and no sound system, so it fits almost any venue.
A useful rule of thumb is around 50 to 60 guests per hour. If you have 100 guests, plan on about two hours so that everyone gets to see something.
A stage show
A stage show is performed once for the whole room. Everyone sees the same thing at the same moment, which makes it a shared experience. The show I perform at corporate events lasts around 15 to 30 minutes.
It works best when you want a clear focal point in the evening: after dinner, before the awards, or as the highlight of a conference. It needs a clear sightline and usually a microphone, so share your venue and AV contact early and we can arrange a sound check.
How to choose
- Lots of guests, short time: a stage show reaches everyone at once.
- A mingling crowd, a long reception: close up magic keeps people talking.
- Not much space or no AV: close up magic needs almost nothing.
- A formal programme: a stage show slots into the running order like any other item.
- You want a warm room and a big moment: combine them.
Why many events use both
A common pattern is close up magic during the drinks reception, which breaks the ice before anyone sits down, then a stage show later that brings the room together. Guests who have already seen the close up magic are pleased to see the same person on stage, and anyone who missed a table gets a second chance.
Not sure what it will cost? How much does it cost to hire a magician explains what moves a quote.
If your event also needs someone to keep the programme moving, I can host or MC and weave magic into the transitions.
Not sure which you need?
Send me your guest count, venue and draft timings and I will recommend a format. See my corporate event page for more, or use the form below.
Professional Magician and Events Host, performing since 2008