Hiring a magician for your fair or festival starts with knowing your audience, stage setup, and budget. Look for a professional with fair entertainment experience, verifiable reviews, and a self-contained stage setup. A great magician brings energy, animals, comedy, and large-scale illusions — creating unforgettable moments for every generation of attendees.
Fair and festival organizers understand one thing clearly — the right entertainment keeps crowds coming back year after year. A professional magician does more than perform tricks. They create a centrepiece experience that draws foot traffic, fills seats, and generates word-of-mouth buzz long after the event ends.
But not every magician is built for the fair circuit. Hiring the wrong act can lead to low crowd engagement, technical issues, and a performance that simply does not match the energy of your event.
This guide walks you through exactly what to look for — so you book the right talent the first time.
A corporate close-up magician and a fair entertainer are completely different. Fair audiences are large, diverse, and unpredictable. You need a performer who has spent years mastering outdoor and fairground stages — someone who commands attention from families, children, and adults all at once.
Look for performers with a verifiable track record at state fairs, county fairs, and large-scale festivals. Ask for a list of past events before making any decision.
One of the highest hidden costs in fair entertainment is production. Many acts require you to supply sound, lighting, staging, and crew. A truly professional fair entertainer arrives completely self-contained.
The ideal setup includes:
A large elevated stage (industry standard is around 53' x 26')
Professional theatrical lighting
Crystal-clear sound system
Full crew to handle setup, operation, and breakdown
This removes the burden from your team entirely and guarantees a consistent, high-quality production every single show.
A single show does not serve a full-day fair crowd. Look for acts capable of delivering two to three performances daily — ideally a mix of show formats — so different visitors throughout the day all get a complete experience.
The best fair magic shows combine several entertainment elements in one production:
Large stage illusions — the signature wow moments
Live animals — universally loved by families and children
Audience participation — pulls the crowd into the show
Comedy — keeps energy high and appeals to all ages
A single-format act will lose audience attention quickly in a fair environment. Variety is what keeps seats filled from the first show to the last.
Always verify that your entertainment is fully insured to industry standards. A professional act will have this documentation available on request. This protects your event, your venue, and your attendees.
Before signing any contract, ask your prospective entertainer these key questions:
How many years have you been performing at fairs and festivals specifically?
Do you bring your own stage, sound, and lighting?
How many shows can you perform per day?
Are you fully insured?
Can you provide references from past fair bookings?
What do you require from us? (Space, power, water)
A professional act will answer every one of these confidently and clearly.
Not every entertainer advertising fair entertainment is the right fit. Watch out for:
No self-contained production — they expect you to supply everything
Limited or unverifiable fair credits — corporate experience does not equal fair experience
Single short performance — one show will not serve a full-day audience
No proof of insurance — this is non-negotiable for any public event
Vague answers about logistics — a professional knows their show inside out
A well-known entertainer with television credits may look impressive on paper. But fair entertainment is a unique discipline. It demands the ability to:
Perform multiple shows back-to-back at full energy
Adapt to outdoor conditions, changing weather, and open-air crowds
Engage audiences that have not chosen to sit down and watch — they are passing by
Manage live animals and large props in an unpredictable environment
This is exactly why seasoned fair entertainers like Lance Gifford, with over 30 years of dedicated fair and festival performance, consistently outperform acts with more mainstream name recognition.
Q1: How far in advance should I book a magician for my fair?
Book at least 6 to 12 months in advance. Top-tier fair entertainers have very limited availability during peak fair season — typically May through October. Early booking also gives you time to coordinate staging, logistics, and scheduling.
Q2: What does a professional fair magic show typically include?
A professional fair magic show includes large-scale stage illusions, live animals, comedy, and audience participation — all delivered on a self-contained stage with professional sound and lighting. Shows typically run 25 to 30 minutes and can be performed multiple times per day.
Q3: Do I need to provide anything for the show?
With a fully self-contained act, your primary responsibilities are providing adequate space, access to power, and water. All staging, equipment, and crew are handled by the entertainer.
Q4: Is a magic show suitable for all ages at a fair?
Yes. A well-designed fair magic show is built for mixed audiences of all ages — from young children who love the animals and visual illusions to adults who appreciate the comedy and large-scale production elements.
Q5: What is the difference between hiring a fair entertainer and a private party magician?
A fair entertainer specialises in large outdoor and fairground environments — performing for hundreds or thousands of people across multiple shows per day. A private party magician typically performs for smaller, indoor audiences in close-up or stage formats. The skills, scale, and logistics involved are completely different.
Ready to book professional fair entertainment for your next event? Contact Lance Gifford and his team today.