Look forward to a feast of wonder and delight this Christmas as some of the best magicians gather in the world’s most magical city for MagicFest.
Today sees the unveiling of the programme for the 17th Edinburgh International Magic Festival, with its main events running from 19 to 30 December, where magic comes in all shapes and sizes – from spectacular theatre shows to performances for an audience of just one, with experimental surprises, family favourites and curious exhibitions along the way.
Topping the bill is Magical Christmas, bringing together Edinburgh’s own award-winning physicist-turned-magician Kevin Quantum and Britain’s Got Talent Grand Finalist Ben Hart, who helped create magic for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Joined by special guests, they’ll deliver a spectacular celebration of magic, illusions, storytelling and original inventions.
Kevin Quantum, co-founder and programming director, said: “The world needs more magic – this year at MagicFest we want to help people rediscover a sense of joy and wonder.
“It’s a festival for all ages, bringing a touch of the unexpected and encouraging people to discover magic in places they might never have thought to look.”
There’s plenty to discover on stage too, with Fringe favourites Dan Bastianelli and Tim Licata alongside exciting up-and-coming Edinburgh magician Jamie Leonard.
Vincent Gambini returns to MagicFest with his acclaimed This Is Not a Magic Show, a playful theatrical performance that turns the conventions of magic on their head. He also presents Close-up, an intriguing performance for an audience of just one in the middle of a busy café.
Then there’s the ever-wonderful Tricky Ricky, one of Edinburgh’s best-loved children’s entertainers, celebrating an incredible 30 years of magical entertainment with a special anniversary show. Magic School also makes a welcome return, with Headmaster Gary James back to teach young sorcerers a few tricks and help them make new friends.
There’s something for all ages, even the very youngest, with Harvest Moon, a gentle, immersive performance for babies aged 5–18 months. Performed by Ainsley Hamill and Josie Duncan, it blends movement and magic with traditional Gaelic song, harp and percussion.
And it’s not all happening on stage. For a more immersive experience, there’s Edinburgh Magic with Kevin Quantum, where a small and select audience can enjoy remarkable magic (often inspired by the city itself) while sipping prosecco in The Caledonian Edinburgh’s elegant Versailles Suite.
Or there’s The Secret Room at Lauriston Castle, where a changing cast of magicians will perform astonishing tricks in the castle’s atmospheric historic rooms – and reveal secrets from its mysterious past.
Professor Richard Wiseman explores the stranger side of magic with The Bag, an experimental show inspired by the bizarre true story of a student who attended classes inside a large opaque bag in 1967. He also curates two free exhibitions, featuring rare photographs of Houdini in Edinburgh and interactive optical illusions from his hugely popular Quirkology project.
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What’s on at MagicFest 2026
Magical Christmas – with Kevin Quantum, Ben Hart and special guests
Two of Britain’s most exciting magicians. One spectacular Christmas show. Kevin Quantum and Ben Hart join forces for an extraordinary celebration of magic, bringing together incredible sleight-of-hand, mind-bending illusions, storytelling and original invention — with plenty of laughter, impossible moments and audience participation.
Kevin was trained by Penn & Teller and is a Guinness World Record holder. Ben was a Britain’s Got Talent Grand Finalist and helped create magic for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
- Venue: Church Hill Theatre
- Dates: 21–23 Dec
- Times: 2pm & 7pm
- Dates: 24 & 28–30 Dec
- Times: 12pm & 4pm
- Tickets: £17–£23 (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 105 min
- Ages: 5+
The Secret Room at Lauriston Castle
Discover unsolved mysteries within one of Edinburgh’s hidden gems. Lauriston Castle is a treasure trove of timeless tapestries, rich décor and whispered tales of secret chambers, strange experiments, and the extraordinary lives of its former residents. Three expert magicians breathe new life into those stories through spellbinding illusion, mind-bending sleight-of-hand and a touch of mischief. Featuring card magician Lewis Barlow, mentalist Cameron Gibson, sleight-of-hand artist Tim Licata (19 Dec only) and magician-inventor Luke Osey (20 Dec only).
- Venue: Lauriston Castle
- Dates and times: 19, 20 Dec,12.30pm and 2.30pm
- Tickets: £22, £20 Conc / £16 Child (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 75 mins
- Ages: 8+
Tricky Ricky: 30 Years of Tricks & Giggles
One of Scotland’s most popular children’s and family entertainers, Tricky Ricky (Ricky McLeod) has spent three decades creating unforgettable memories for audiences of all ages. This special anniversary show features a selection of Ricky’s favourite magical moments, and appearances from his much-loved puppet pals Bingo the Dog and Sonny the Bunny. Jaw-dropping magic, laugh-out-loud comedy, groan-worthy puns, and riotous audience participation, this family show is a delight. A four-time Scottish Children’s Entertainer of the Year and a regular sell-out performer at MagicFest.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 28, 29 Dec
- Times: 10.30am & 12pm
- Tickets: £12.50 / £10 Conc (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 50 min
- Ages: 4+
Magic School with Gary James
Magical headmaster Gary James is back! Learn exciting tricks, build confidence, make new friends and become a graduate of Edinburgh’s most mysterious school. Since 2010 Magic School has welcomed thousands of young magicians through its doors, combining the secrets of magic with performance skills, creativity and plenty of fun. Places are limited to 16 children per class. All children must be registered in advance.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Date: 29 Dec
- Times: 11.30am & 1.30pm
- Tickets: £22 (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 90 min
- Ages: 7–10
Harvest Moon
An immersive moonlit performance for babies (5–18 months) and their grown-ups. Harvest Moon, performed by Ainsley Hamill & Josie Duncan, is a gentle, sensory performance celebrating the journey of growing up and the ever-changing bond between parent and child. Blending live traditional Gaelic song, harp and percussion with immersive design and poetic movement. Inspired by Gaelic lullabies, working songs and seasonal rituals, Harvest Moon unfolds within a soft, atmospheric environment where babies sit close to the performers. After each performance, the space transforms into a sensory playground.
- Venue: North Edinburgh Arts
- Date: 19 Dec
- Times: 10.30am, 11.30am & 12.30pm
- Tickets: Baby ticket £9/ Adult ticket £9 (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 25 min plus playtime
- Ages: 5–18 months
Vincent Gambini This Is Not a Magic Show
Forget everything you know about magic and magicians… now remember it all again. This trailblazing work of theatre-magic is both a unique performance of astonishing sleight-of-hand magic and an exploration of magic’s invisible mechanics, its clichés, and what it tells us about live performance and make-believe. Gambini presents a show within a show. Cards transform inexplicably before our eyes, silver coins appear out of nowhere, and our own perception of reality explodes into a thousand mirrors.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 27, 28 Dec
- Time: 7.30pm
- Tickets: £14 / £12 Conc (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 65 min
- Ages: 14+
Kevin Quantum: Edinburgh Magic
Just 30 guests. One extraordinary room. Magic happening only inches from your eyes. Kevin Quantum performs astonishing sleight of hand, mind reading and impossible magic at breathtakingly close range. Objects float, money multiplies and the impossible happens while you watch every move — and still have no idea how it’s done. Warm, witty and highly interactive, Edinburgh Magic blends illusions with stories inspired by Edinburgh itself.
- Venue: The Caledonian Edinburgh, Versailles Suite
- Dates: 28 Nov and 4, 9, 12, 19 Dec
- Times: 6pm & 8.30pm
- Tickets: Front row £55, second row £45, third row £35, fourth row £30 (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 70 min
- Ages: 12+
Tim Licata: Absolutely Magic
Chicago-born Tim Licata brings his sold-out Fringe show to MagicFest, with an hour of incredible illusions, mind reading and delightful deception. With an easy charm and playful sense of humour, Tim draws audiences into a world where nothing behaves quite as expected. Mind-bending moments unfold with the audience very much part of the action.
Winner of the 2025 Edinburgh Magic Circle Close-Up Competition.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 27, 28 Dec
- Time: 3.15pm
- Tickets: £14 / £12 Conc (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 55MIN
- Ages: 12+
Dan Bastianelli: The Boy Who Drew Doors
What happens when a story starts telling itself? Through his own imagination, a boy explores impossible worlds where ordinary objects become extraordinary, drawings come to life, and anything seems possible. The line between real and imagined begins to blur. Dan Bastianelli uses masterful magic, sleight-of-hand and theatrical storytelling in a show about the worlds we create when we’re young — and what happens when we forget how to visit them.
Nominated for Best Cabaret & Variety Show at The List Awards 2026
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 27, 28 Dec
- Time: 5pm
- Tickets: £14 / £12 Conc (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 55 min
- Ages 12+
Jamie Leonard – Blink of an Eye
Up-and-coming Edinburgh magician Jamie Leonard presents a stylish, story-driven show blending comedy, sleight of hand and moments of quiet wonder. Exploring how our perspective changes as we grow, and the things we miss when we’re not really looking, Jamie uses magic and storytelling to play with our sense of time and attention, moving between fast-paced comedy and more reflective moments.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 27, 28 Dec
- Time: 1.30pm
- £14 / £12 Conc (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 55 min
- Ages: 8+
Experimental Shows
Richard Wiseman: The Bag: In 1967, a student attended classes in a large opaque bag. No one knows the identity of this enigmatic individual. Inspired by this strange experiment, psychologist and magician Richard Wiseman presents a work in progress which explores this radical study. Every performance is different. How will you and your group behave? Expect interactivity, mystery, fun, psychology, magic, and a banana.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 27 Dec
- Time: 12pm
- Date: 28 Dec
- Times: 12pm & 1pm
- Tickets: £5 (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 30 min
- Ages: 14+
Vincent Gambini: Close-up: Inside a café you are invited to be an audience of one, sat a table to watch a 15-minute performance. Playing cards transform inexplicably and sugar cubes vanish without a trace. But as you listen to the performer’s voice and the sounds of the café on headphones, the line between reality and fiction grows thin: is this a real café, or a film set filled with actors?
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre café
- Date 29 Dec
- Times: 10am, 10.20am, 10.40am, 11am, 11.40am, 12pm, 12.20pm, 12.40pm, 2pm, 2.20pm, 2.40pm, 3pm, 3.40pm, 4pm, 4.20pm, 4.40pm
- Tickets: £20 early bird, £30 standard (+ £1.50/ticket booking fee)
- Duration: 15 min
- Ages: 16+
Exhibitions: curated by Professor Richard Wiseman
Houdini in Edinburgh Photo Exhibition: In 1920, master magician and escapologist Harry Houdini visited Edinburgh and was photographed at various landmarks across the city. For the first time, five of these rare images are on display. Can you figure out where they were taken?
Quirkology: Optical Illusions: Can you always believe your eyes? A small interactive exhibition of optical illusions designed to fool your eyes and baffle your brain, from Professor Richard Wiseman, psychologist, magician and creator of the hugely popular Quirkology project which has brought psychology, illusion and curious science to millions. See a ghost appear in a flash, a rabbit transform into a duck, and imaginary dots dance in your mind.
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Dates: 11 Dec–6 Jan
- Price: Free
- All ages
Notes
Booking
- Online www.magicfest.co.uk
- Phone 0131 226 0006. Booking lines are open until 18 December Monday to Friday 10am-5pm. During the holidays, please email boxoffice@magicfest.co.uk
- In person Tickets can be purchased on the day from the festival venues, subject to availability.
- A booking fee of £1.50 per ticket is applied to all bookings, up to a maximum of £6 per transaction.
Festival Team
- Svetlana McMahon, Creative Director and Producer
- Kevin Quantum, Programming Director
- Ida Casilli, Administrator
For media information: Matthew Shelley at Matthew@ScottishfestivalsPR.org or 07786 704299.
