How much does a close-up magician cost?

Typically, expect to pay at least £500+ for a good quality magician who understands how to handle any audience whilst providing amazing entertainment.

If you’ve not hired a magician before, you may be unsure what fees you can expect to pay. And once you start shopping around and discover how prices vary, you can get even more confused!

Hiring a UK Magician is a great FAQ but a difficult process to give a definitive answer. That’s why I’ve written this piece…

With so much choice, it’s tempting to pick the cheapest. After all, spend less on entertainment and you have more for other costs such as your venue and the catering etc.

But (as with anything) opting for ‘cheap and cheerful’ can be a mistake.

That’s because when you hire a close-up magician, you’re paying for more than a few tricks. Let me explain…

A close-up magician should bring more than entertainment to your event.

When I show up at a party or a wedding (or a corporate event), I need more than a few good magic tricks to put on a spellbinding show!

I’m here to create OMG moments for your guests that lead to dropped jaws, astonished expressions, and whispers of “How on earth did he do that?” And that means I need performance skills too.

Unless a close-up magician can work an audience, mingle confidently, and respond to what’s happening in the moment, the magic won’t work. You can’t rock up and rely on a script. Close-up magic doesn’t work that way because it’s reliant on audience interaction and engagement too.

That’s why personality is key.

You want someone who is personable and relevant. Someone who can slot into any conversation immediately put guests at ease, and engage them with magic that gets them talking.

Actually, someone like me!

Magicians that can’t work a crowd make the audience cringe. It’s embarrassing! And if the tricks are obvious and easy to work out, your audience will be unimpressed and bored. A wedding disaster!

Imagine how you’ll feel as the party host when word gets around that the entertainment is a little bit rubbish.

And that’s why I encourage you not to compromise on your entertainment. Instead, pay a fair price to get the confidence you need that your close-up magician won’t let you down.

That’s why hiring a (good) Magician (like me!) costs more than (let’s say) £250. It’s also the reason why you should ask more questions if you’re given a rock-bottom quote – so you can understand exactly what entertainment to expect from your investment.

Skill level

Some magicians are able to offer more than just fancy card tricks to their performance by offering various skill sets: Pickpocketing, mind-reading, and MC’ing your event are such examples.

Experience

The more weddings they’ve done, usually means the higher their price will be.

A magician with good reviews and experience is likely to command higher prices than someone who doesn’t have too much of an online presence or very few weddings under his belt yet.

Travel expenses

Most magicians tend to cover the UK and will factor their travel costs into their quote.

Bespoke Packages

Whatever the event, professional magicians should be able to provide you with bespoke packages instead of charging by the hour. For example, within my packages, I offer The Reaction Cam where the amazing reactions of your guests are captured by our videographer for you to enjoy after the event. If it’s a corporate event, we can include your branding within the Close-Up Corner

Amateur v Professional

One of the biggest price factors is whether you’re hiring a professional magician or an amateur. A professional entertainer will be performing events like yours on a regular basis, honing their skills, and gaining valuable experience, so he/she knows all the right moves in terms of creating an awesome atmosphere for your guests!

An amateur magician will lack the experience and confidence of a professional magician so their show will likely be less polished, and will certainly not have the same impact as watching an experienced performer. Are magicians tacky? Read here

Type of Event

Corporate events tend to be much longer and more detailed affairs and for that reason, expect to pay more for your close-up magic in the corporate sector. A children’s magician on the other hand will not be able to command the same fees.

Event Location

As with most things, London magician prices are significantly more than those in other cities. As mentioned previously, a good magician will charge at least £500 and above.

Day of the Week/Season

A magician’s charge can be affected by the day of the week. A Monday in February is unlikely to as popular as say a Saturday in July so you may find the quote for your magical entertainment varies slightly.

Type of Show

In this article, I’m very much from the Close-Up magician’s view. If you’re after an illusionist/stage magician – someone who performs on stage then you can expect the cost of your magician to be significantly more. These high-production acts will cost at least £2000.

Please don’t pick an entertainer on price alone. Remember, you’re paying for a lot more than a few magic tricks so you want to ensure you choose the right person for your birthday party.

If you’ve got a short list of people who’ve been recommended to (or you like the look of), I suggest you narrow it down with these three things before hiring a wedding Magician