How to Hire a Magician in Philadelphia

How to Prepare for Your Search

Just like attorneys specialize in different areas of law, magicians specialize in different areas of magic. Some magicians perform for employees/adults/teens while other magicians perform for younger children. Some magicians do better with a low number of event guests and other magicians do better with many guests. To find a good match for your event, the first step is to write down (or make a mental note of) these details about your event:

• Age Range
• Number of guests/attendees
• Budget

Once you have those details ready, consider that there are two main services that most magicians offer. The first service is often called “strolling magic” or “walk-around magic.” This means the magician walks around at the event and performs for just a few guests at a time. After performing for that small group (2 to 8 guests) for about 2 to 15 minutes, the magician moves on to another small group (a different group of 2 to 8 guests) and performs again. You can see exactly what “strolling magic” looks like in this video.

The other main type of magic is something you’re probably familiar with. It’s called a “stage show.” It doesn’t mean there has to be a platform that is elevated higher than the ground. A “stage show” just means that all your event guests are seated and experience magic at the same time. You can see the structure of a stage show in the following video.

Now that you understand the difference between “strolling magic” and a “stage show,” you’re able to have all 4 of these event details ready for your search:

• Preferred service (stage show or strolling magic)
• Number of event guests/attendees
• Age Range
• Budget

How to Hire a Magician in Philadelphia

 Tip: Many venues require their entertainers to have liability insurance. Don’t forget to ask!

Now that you are familiar with the two main services that a magician can offer (stage shows and strolling magic), you are able to better interpret a Philadelphia magician’s website or online profile. Think about which service (i.e. “stage show” or “strolling magic”) might be a better fit for your event; then check to see whether each magician offers a stage show, strolling magic, or both services. You also wrote down the age range of your event guests; knowing this age range equips you to look at a magician’s videos and/or photos and judge if their audiences match your audience’s age range.

Number of guests/attendees is also important to consider. For strolling magic, the number of guests at an event is approximately equal to the number of minutes that the strolling magic lasts. For example, if you have 100 event guests, then the strolling magic can last up to approximately 100 minutes. If you have under 60 event guests, the strolling magic will likely last for under 60 minutes, so you may want to consider having a stage show. Strolling magic is flexible and works very well for large events with many people. Strolling magic is popular for cocktail hours, receptions, pre-dinner times, and after-dinner times.

 Tip: If you want a stage show and your event has 30+ guests, a microphone is recommended.

Audio equipment: If your event has 30 or more audience members and you want a stage show, then the magician should probably use a microphone. If anyone in your audience has a hearing disability or difficulty hearing, a microphone should also be used to help them hear better. Possible suppliers of audio equipment include:

• Magician might be able to supply audio equipment
• Venue might be able to supply audio equipment
• Third-party A/V vendor (if you have the budget)
• Another vendor (e.g. if you plan to also have a DJ/emcee or band with their own audio equipment)

If your stage show has 30 to 300 audience members, ask the magician if they can provide an audio system. If the venue provides the main audio system, the venue should use a document called a Technical Rider. You can obtain a Technical Rider from the magician and give it to the venue. If you decide to use your venue’s audio, then the Technical Rider will take the responsibility off of your plate! 

Bonus Tip: It is not recommended to delegate a DJ,  emcee, or band to handle audio equipment for a magician. This is because magicians operate very differently. For example, magicians rarely use a handheld microphone because they need their hands free.  

Budget (and therefore pricing) is another consideration. A magician’s price is a simple number, yet it packs a lot of information in it. Everyone (including a magician) likes money; therefore, the main reason for a magician to charge a low price is lack of clients willing to pay a professional rate. If a magician invested a lot of hard work into their career, they’re probably going to require a high price to make that investment worth it. The more confidence the magician has in their service, the more comfortable they are with charging a high fee. The real challenge is not finding a Philadelphia magician with a low price. That’s very easy to find within minutes of searching. The challenge is finding a magician confident enough in the value of their service to require a good payment.

With that said, if you are trying to hire a magician for 50 gigs in a single contract, that’s a very different situation. You should expect a lower fee for that. However, if your event is a one-time event or infrequent event, and you are only quoted a couple hundred dollars for a corporate/association event, wedding, adult birthday party, or bar/bat mitzvah, that is a huge red flag. If it’s a very young children’s birthday party magician, then it’s more normal for a magician to only charge a couple hundred dollars.

Watching an audience during a performance is the best indicator of creating great experiences. As a comparison, consider a graphic designer. A graphic designer may have certifications, awards, years of experience, educational program completion, celebrity associations, networking group associations, etc., but a glance at their graphics will show you their results. Doesn’t that matter more than anything else? Likewise, nothing proves the ability to deliver results at an event, better than seeing a magician deliver results at an event. Look at the audience’s faces during the magician's performance. After all, isn’t your audience who you’re paying to bring enjoyment to? 

Some magicians will do a free sample trick through Zoom or other video conferencing software. It’s worth doing it if that’s offered. However, it’s also important to know that virtual tricks don’t necessarily play out the same at an in-person event. If you’re hiring a magician to perform for a live audience, then it’s better to look at performance footage that shows a live audience (or watch a live performance). 

If all of these details are overwhelming and you want a free consultation, contact us here. 

Bonus Tips

• If your event guests will be eating during your event, a stage show should not be scheduled while your guests are eating. Schedule the stage show before or after any eating (including appetizers) takes place. 
• Some magicians offer customization for a additional fee. They can change a trick to make it about your guest of honor, boss, etc. 
• For a stage show, if you have control over the seats, position the chairs together as tightly as possible. It amplifies the audience response.