December always seems to have a way of arriving before anyone is ready for it, right? One moment you’re soaking up the one sunny weekend of summer, the next you’re scrambling to pull together a Christmas party that feels memorable, and not just another night of lukewarm buffet food and a playlist on shuffle.
If you’ve been handed the task of organising this year’s work celebration, or you’re planning a private event – well congratulations. You’re in the right place to help get this sorted.
I’m a professional close up magician who provides entertainment for just that type of Christmas celebration, (and I even do magic for the other 11 months of the year too).
Right now, though you might be asking yourself:
When should you book a magician for a Christmas party?
The short answer: sooner than you think. The longer answer is the timing affects not just availability, but the whole shape of what’s possible for your event.
December fills up faster than people expect
For many professional entertainers like myself, the key Friday and Saturday evenings in December are often booked up by September. Sometimes earlier. Over the past few years, I’ve also noticed that midweek evenings in the run up to Christmas are increasingly popular too.
Even if your event is a Thursday, or in Christmas week, then it’s still worth getting in touch sooner, rather than later.
In short, companies book out restaurants and private dining rooms for team celebrations throughout the whole month.
As a professional close up magician with a solid reputation and real experience (read some of my reviews here), I’ve spent over 20 years performing at corporate events, private parties, and everything in between.
I have enquiries coming in consistently from late summer onwards, but despite this I can still only be in one place at a time.
Waiting until October or November to reach out often means working around what’s left rather than securing exactly what your event needs.
Please get in touch though. I may have a final space to fill. And even if I can’t help, I can co-ordinate an alternative professional magician on your behalf. I’m well connected in the magic industry and often do this when I’m fully booked, or for the largest events where 2 + magicians are required.
Extra special “key” dates
For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve specifically, availability becomes even more limited. These dates attract high demand and tend to get booked up in my calendar well in advance.
Note that these dates also come with an uplift in price, due to the commitment to be away from family during these celebrations.
You might also want to see this blog post: How much does a close up magician cost to hire?
Recommendation! Be like this client, and book early.
★★★★★
Ed is hands down THE BEST magician in London. He provided magic and comedy at our Christmas event and we’re still talking about him months later. It’s April, and I’m about to book him again for this year.
Angela Yates · Close up magic · Corporate Christmas Party
What does a close up magician actually do at a Christmas event?
Close up magic is the most social form of entertainment for parties, and that’s precisely why it works so well at Christmas events.
Close up magic integrates into almost any event. Guests are in their own groups, drinks in hand, settling into conversation, and there is no need for guests to move or gather in a certain area. The magic comes to them.
Cards, coins, banknotes, keys, and sometimes small borrowed objects (always returned), are used to create impossible moments, that everyone can share in.
Not only that but my performance style is based on conversation, which means guest get involved naturally, rather than feeling like they are just watching a demonstration.
I react to the room in real time. My magic is responsive, and that connects with people, because the performance is shaped by them.
This format is most effective during the arrival drinks period, when guests are still settling in and conversation hasn’t quite warmed up. A close up magician acts as a social catalyst, giving people something to talk about, breaking the ice between colleagues who don’t know each other well, and setting a tone that says this evening is going to be different.
It also works well between the courses of a sit down dinner. We call this table magic. Instead of a lull while plates are cleared, guests get five to ten minutes of a genuinely astonishing personal show. Done well, these are the moments people talk about on the way home, or in the office next week.
Best of all – close up magic is incredibly low maintenance from an organisational standpoint. Huge win for you! No stage required. No technical setup. No interruption to the room’s flow. As a close up magician, I move through the space, and the event continues around me.
A quick note on stage magic
For events where you want something the whole room experiences together, the addition of a stage magic performance can provide exactly that.
This doesn’t necessarily require a raised platform or extensive production. For smaller groups especially, a performance ‘on the level’ works really well.
While a final group performance does require some extra scheduling, and thought about when it should take place, the advantage is collective impact.
Everyone in the room shares the same experience at the same moment, which creates a shared memory that individual conversations don’t always achieve. If you’re looking to mark the occasion with something genuinely theatrical, this is worth considering as an addition to close up.
Free Christmas party planning advice with every booking
With over 20 years of experience performing at Christmas events across the UK, from corporate dinners in Birmingham, Manchester, and London, to private celebrations in Nottingham, and Staffordshire, I know that the conversations that happen before an event matter as much as the performance itself.
Getting in touch early means there’s time to think through the structure of your evening properly, and how close up magic works at events (click for more information, and ‘in action’ videos).
Plus, with me, free event planning advice is part of the process. If I can help in anyway at all, then I will do. This isn’t an afterthought. I’m here to make your booking process easy.
And, if other magicians, or entertainers would add something to the occasion, those connections are available too.
I’ll always provide a no obligation quote, and all the information you need to make an informed booking decision. So, if you’ve got a date in mind for your next Christmas party (even if it’s 12 months away), then get in touch and let’s get your entertainment sorted.