Cardiff loves a big occasion, from international match days to packed December nights down the Bay. Pop us a message with your date, venue and rough guest numbers and we'll come back with the magicians who are free and a clear quote.
What people book a magician in Cardiff for
Most of our Cardiff enquiries are weddings, split pretty evenly between city hotels and rural spots out towards the Vale of Glamorgan. Then there's the corporate side: the city's banks, media firms and public bodies all hold conferences, awards and staff parties. And plenty of private dos too, like 40ths, 50ths and anniversary meals.
Close-up magic works for all of them because it goes to the guests. The magician moves between tables or groups and does a few minutes for each, so nobody has to stop eating or chatting to watch a show.
From a Victorian coal exchange to vineyard lawns
Cardiff's venues are a real mix. The Coal Exchange Hotel in Cardiff Bay is a Grade II* listed Victorian building with a grand hall that suits big receptions, and a roaming magician helps fill that space between the ceremony and the meal. Over at the Principality Stadium, the conference and hospitality suites host dinners, student balls and Christmas parties all year.
Head west and it's a different world. Llanerch Vineyard at Hensol holds weddings on its lawns and in its barn, while Insole Court in Llandaff is a Victorian Gothic house with gardens. At smaller country venues like these, magic during the drinks keeps everyone together and laughing while the photographer borrows the couple.
Corporate clients in the Bay often like to show visitors a bit of the city at its best. A magician at a welcome reception gives out-of-town guests something to remember, and it's a nice change from a speech and a glass of fizz.
Birthdays, christenings and family dos
Plenty of our Cardiff bookings are family celebrations in function rooms, rugby clubs and restaurants around the city. Close-up magic suits them because it works in whatever space you've got, and every generation can join in, from the grandparents to the teenagers pretending they're not impressed.
And if there's a guest of honour, the magician can make them the star of a routine. Nothing embarrassing. Just a moment they'll be telling people about for weeks.
Close-up or stage magic for a Cardiff event?
For most weddings and parties, close-up magic is the one to go for. It happens inches from your guests, in their own hands, and it suits everything from a 30-person dinner in Llandaff to a 300-guest reception in the Bay.
A stage set makes more sense at a big corporate dinner or awards night, where everyone's seated and you want a shared moment. Plenty of clients book both: roaming magic at the drinks, then 20 minutes on stage after the meal. If you're not sure, tell us about the room and the running order and we'll give you an honest steer.
Timing the magic, and getting there on match days
The drinks reception straight after the ceremony is the favourite slot. It often runs an hour and a half while you're off having photos taken, and that's exactly when guests need something to do. A second short set between courses, or just before the evening guests arrive, works nicely too.
Got a male voice choir, a harpist or a band booked? Let us know and we'll fit the magician's sets around them.
If your event lands on a rugby international or a big concert weekend, plan ahead. Roads around the centre close, car parks fill early and the whole city slows down. We build in extra travel time and sort out unloading with the venue beforehand.
Bay venues tend to have car parks close by. Out in the Vale, most places have parking on site. Either way a close-up magician needs very little, just somewhere to park, somewhere to leave a coat and a time to start.
