Magician London

About Magician London

Pete James is a close-up magician working right across London, and a Member of The Magic Circle – promoted to Associate of the Inner Magic Circle in 2021. That’s a credential that has to be examined for in front of a panel of existing members rather than paid for, and it’s the main thing separating a full-time professional from someone who bought a deck of cards. Weddings, corporate events, birthdays and private celebrations, anywhere from the City and the West End to Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Richmond and the outer boroughs.

Close-up magic means the magic happens in your guests’ hands rather than on a stage. No volunteers dragged to the front, no sound system, no set-up and nothing for a venue to accommodate. Pete moves between groups or tables, so everyone gets a proper look at it instead of watching from the back of a room.

What Kind of Event Are You Planning?

The magic itself adapts, but what a London wedding needs from an entertainer is genuinely different to what a client drinks reception needs. There is a page for each:

• Wedding Magician London – drinks receptions, wedding breakfasts and evening receptions, and how the timings usually work.
• Corporate Magician London – client entertainment, product launches, awards dinners, conferences and office parties.
• Christmas Party Magician London – December office parties, which book up earlier than most people expect.
• Magician Canary Wharf – the Docklands office and client-event circuit specifically.

Private parties, milestone birthdays and anniversaries are covered too – just get in touch with the details.

London Venues Where Pete Has Performed

A selection across weddings, corporate events and private celebrations. Every one was booked by the couple, company or host running the event, not an endorsement or partnership with the venue itself:

• The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
• Grosvenor House Hotel and the London Hilton, Park Lane
• The Brewery and City Central at the HAC, in the City
• Andaz London Liverpool Street
• Pan Pacific London, Bishopsgate
• De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden
• Ham Yard Hotel and the Century Club, Soho
• The Royal Air Force Club, Piccadilly
• The Caledonian Club, Belgravia
• Nonsuch Mansion, Sutton
• ExCeL London and Battersea Evolution
• Thames boat parties from Temple, Westminster, Tower and Canary Wharf piers

There is a fuller list on the notable venues page, though plenty of the best events happen at venues that never make a list like this.

What Affects the Cost of Hiring a Magician in London

There is no single price, and anyone quoting one before they know your details is guessing. Four things move it more than anything else:

• How long you need. A 45-minute drinks reception slot is a different booking to a full afternoon and evening.
• Guest numbers. Past roughly 150 guests, one magician cannot reach every group in a sensible window, so it is worth discussing a longer booking or a second performer.
• The date. Saturdays from May to September and most of December book up first and are the hardest to get.
• Format. Walk-around during drinks, table-to-table at a meal, or a combination across the same event.

Travel is not one of them anywhere in London. There is a fuller breakdown in the guide to what a wedding magician costs in the UK, and the same logic applies to corporate and private bookings.

The Practical Side

Nothing needs setting up, plugging in or loading in. Everything Pete needs fits in a jacket pocket, which means no van, no parking to arrange and nothing for a venue coordinator or AV supplier to schedule around. Congestion charge, ULEZ and central London parking are absorbed rather than added to your quote, and there is no travel charge for any London borough.

Public liability insurance certificates and risk assessments are available on request, which is normally everything a London hotel, office building or venue management team needs before signing off a supplier.

Why London Clients Book Pete

• Member of The Magic Circle since 2016, AIMC since 2021 – examined for, not bought
• 15+ years as a full-time professional across weddings, corporate events and private parties
• Based in Orpington on the edge of Greater London – no travel surcharge anywhere in the capital
• Nothing to set up, plug in or park
• Fully insured, with certificates and risk assessments available for venues
• Hundreds of five-star Google reviews