Magifest Schedule

Thursday 26th January 2023

5:00pm - 8:00pm

Dealer’s Room Open
5:30pm - 6:30pm

Charles Greene Historical Lecture.

Presenting his groundbreaking research on one of magic’s most elusive figures, Charles Greene will recount the unusual life story behind Ionia. Ionia was a pioneering figure in the world of magic—all the more difficult in her era because of great biases against female performers. She astounded the world and then…disappeared from public view. Greene has uncovered what happened, and how she lived the remainder of her life. This talk will feature many of the astounding visuals we associate with Ionia, including several newly uncovered images.
6:00pm - 7pm

Youth Program Welcome Event

We invite all young magicians (and guardians) to attend this welcome party. You’ll meet our directors, a couple of our headline performers, and get insider tips on how to make the most of Magifest as a young person. There may even be a surprise or two…
7:00pm - 7.45pm

Michel Huot Lecture

The creator of the hit trick “Socks” is making his Magifest debut with a lecture packed with unusual, non-card parlor material. Mr. Huot comes from Quebec, and he will astound people with his unique, creative brand of magic.
8:00pm - 9pm

Mark James Show

Straight from a successful tour of the UK, Mark James has a truly “parlor” magic show–a rarity in these times. You’ll be amazed and delighted by his high energy approach to the classics, and you’ll be amazed by the clever twists along the way.
9:30pm - 11:00pm

Peter Turner Show and Lecture

Hailing from the UK, Peter Turner is a radical, disruptive performer and thinker who has taken the mindreading community by storm. He will perform and then speak on his powerful, unique approach to mentalism.

Friday 27th January 2023

10:00am - 5:30pm

Dealers Open
10:00am - 11:00am

Kyle Purnell Lecture

See one of the most fertile creative minds in magic…doing his very best material. Kyle Purnell has developed highly innovative ideas with cards, bills, coins, and more, and you’ll see it all in this action-packed lecture.
11am - 12pm

Mortenn Christiansen Lecture

Not only did Denmark’s Mortenn Christiansen win the Comedy Prize this year at FISM, but he also brought down the house with an unusual act that is amazing as it is hilarious. You’ll see that act in the gala show, but in this lecture you’ll see an array of fantastic, original close-up and parlor magic.
1pm - 2:30pm

The Magifest Session

Starring Charles Greene performing and explaining a few pet effects, as well as author Margalit Fox, who will present a captivating 45-minute presentation on her best-selling book, The Confidence Men, the true story about two men who used mentalism to escape from a POW camp.

There will also be a presentation from the Gahana High School Magic Program, which features magic from students with disabilities. We at Magifest are proud to have an ongoing partnership with this important and inspiring program. We are excited to see what magic they do for us.
2:30pm - 3:30pm

Youth Event

For young magicians only!
3:30pm - 4:30pm

Mark Calabrese Lecture

Making his Magifest debut, card-cheating expert and magician Mark Calabrese will share the magic he uses to astound guests nightly at New York’s illustrious SpeakEasy Magic. You’ll learn practical, doable card magic.
5:30pm - 6:30pm

The Matt Pritchard Experience

This event is impossible to categorize, and there hasn’t been anything like it at Magifest before. Pritchard brought the house down at our sister-convention, The Session, with this presentation. Matt Pritchard has a background in science, and during the pandemic he put this background to use making online, viral videos of magic illusions. In this talk he’ll show and (sometimes) tell on the most popular of these illusions. And in most cases, the method behind the trick is as interesting as the trick itself.
8pm - 9pm

Lance Burton Interview

The man, the myth, the legend. Lance Burton sits down for a candid, in-depth interview about his illustrious career. We’ll look at performance footage and find out how one of Las Vegas’s greatest entertainers made it to the top.
9:30pm - 10:30pm

David Gerard Show

Experience this high-energy, astounding mentalism show. Straight from his residency in San Francisco to the Magifest stage…
11:30pm - midnight

You Flash, You Lose with Chris Ramsay and friends

Be part of a social media happening as the Big Trick Energy team invite you to play their "You Flash, You Lose"
10:30pm - 12.30am

Bar Magic with Mark Calabrese

Saturday 28th January 2023

10:00am - 5.30pm

Dealers Open
10:30am - 11:30am

Mark James Lecture

You’ve been amazed by his show; now is your chance to learn his magic. This lecture will focus on professional, doable magic. With a focus on non-card tricks, this is a can’t-miss lecture.
1:30pm - 3pm

Paul Gertner Show and Lecture

This was our most anticipated event at the last Magifest…but needed to be postponed due to Covid. We’re pleased that Paul has consented to return this year to deliver what will surely be an unforgettable presentation. A multiple-winner on Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, a FISM winner, and one of the industry’s leading professionals, Paul will present a show for us and then lecture on some of his best material.
3:30pm - 4:30pm

David Gerard Marketing Lecture

Here David will share hard-earned, seldom-shared insider information on a topic he has dedicated his life to: marketing and branding. Having played an integral role in several Silicon Valley startups (as well as a lengthy tenure at Google), by day David Gerard helps companies put their message across. By night David entertains top brass at these companies, and he will share his marketing and branding insights with us in this rare, candid lecture on an area of performing most of us overlook.
5:30pm - 6:30pm

Shoot Ogawa Lecture

On the heels of his first-place FISM win, Shoot Ogawa will share the magic that has taken around the world and made him a household name in magic. This lecture will feature new, non-card material, as well as a few “Ogawa” classics.
8:30pm - 10:00pm

Gala Show

Hosted by Lucy Darling
Mortenn Christiansen
Erik Tait
Ruben Vilagrand
Shoot Ogawa
Paul Gertner
JunWoo Park
10:30pm - 11.30pm

Bar Magic with Mark Calabrese

Sunday 29th January 2023

11:00am - 2pm

Shoot Ogawa Workshop

This is your chance to take personal instruction from a World Champion magician. Shoot will dive deep, in his three-hour workshop, on how to improve your sleight-of-hand, and how to assemble an act. This will be in a lecture format, but aspects of it will be optionally hands on. So bring some cards and coins, and come ready to get up close and personal with one of the finest sleight-of-hand artists in magic.

Pay extra workshop. Register here

3:00pm - 6pm

Mark Calabrese Workshop

Mark has assembled one of the finest "acts" you can do with a deck of cards, which he honed over years working at New York's most exclusive magic venue: Speakeasy Magic. In this three-hour workshop you'll learn how to take your card tricks and turn them into an "act." You'll also get the real work on card fundamentals from one of our industry's foremost experts: whether it's a silky-smooth double-lift or a bottom deal or anything in between, this will be like taking a private lesson (with other like-minded magicians) from Mark Calabrese.

Pay extra workshop. Register here

As always, this schedule is subject to change.