Close up magic vs stage magic: which suits your event?

Close up magic goes to the audience. The magician moves through the room performing short sets for small groups, with the magic happening in the guests' own hands.

Stage magic brings the audience to the magician. One performance, one direction, everybody seeing the same thing at the same moment.

Your guests are standing, mingling or seated at separate tables; your schedule is moving; there is no stage or sound system; or people are arriving and leaving at different times.

It also suits events where guests do not all know each other, because it creates conversation between strangers in a way a show cannot.

The room is seated and facing one direction; you want a defined entertainment slot in a running order; guest numbers are high enough that covering the room individually is impractical; and the venue has a performance area with sound.

It is also the better choice when you want one shared talking point rather than many separate ones.

Larger events frequently combine them: close up magic during a reception or dinner, then a stage performance as the formal centrepiece. Longer bookings and all day rates exist mainly because this combination is so common.