Inside a Magician’s Christmas Party Setlist: What Guests Really Love

Most people picture a Christmas party magician doing card tricks between courses, a bit of fun to fill five minutes while the plates are cleared. That’s not what the good ones are actually for.

Done properly and professionally, magic has many benefits for your end of year shindig. From breaking the ice among colleagues who’ve barely spoken, to maintaining the energy during lulls, and giving people a brilliant talking point. 

But none of that happens by accident, it takes a truly skilled and experienced magician.

Chris Whitelock has spent years elevating Christmas parties and impressing guests. Here’s what actually goes into the setlist, and why the order matters as much as the tricks themselves.

The Reception: Where the Night Actually Begins

Close-up magic during the drinks reception does something a seating plan can’t: it gives strangers a reason to stand together. A card trick performed an arm’s length away isn’t a distraction, it becomes part of the conversation. Teams who’ve barely had meetings together end up laughing at the same impossible moment, and that’s the ice broken before anyone’s even sat down.

For a host, that means your guests warm to each other right from the get go instead of sitting down to awkward introductions. This makes it feels like the party’s already started!

Table Magic: Keeping a Good Atmosphere Without Taking Over

Between courses is where the energy usually dips. Chris’s table magic fills that stretch without overdoing it. He moves between tables with sleight of hand and mentalism that plays to small groups, so guests stay engaged with him as well as with each other. It’s entertainment with a light touch, present enough to keep the room warm, restrained enough that it doesn’t compete with people having private conversations.

The Showpiece: A Moment for the Boss and the Board

Every Christmas party has someone watching from the top table, hoping the entertainment reflects well on the decision to book it. A deluxe celebration trick performed for company bosses or VIPs gives that moment its own spotlight, a story that gets retold in the office long after the tinsel comes down, and proof to whoever signed off the budget that it was money well spent.

CW Magic Doesn’t Let the Clock Run the Show

Here’s the detail most hosts don’t think to ask about until it matters: Chris doesn’t charge by the hour, he charges by the part of the evening. Drinks reception, table magic, the show before speeches – each is its own segment rather than a ticking clock.

That means when speeches overrun, or the caterers fall behind, or the room simply isn’t ready on time, he’s not packing away his cards the moment his slot technically ends. For anyone who has been burned by entertainment that left exactly on schedule regardless of how the night was actually going, that flexibility is worth more than an extra half hour on paper.

Browse our gallery or check out our YouTube channel to get a taste of the magic you can expect on the night.

Building the Right Setlist for Your Corporate Christmas Party

Our packages below cover the shape of a typical evening, from a single well-placed segment to a full night of magic from arrival to speeches. So you can decide which suits your event perfectly.

1. Gold Corporate Entertainment – One part of the evening, either the drinks reception or table magic, built around unique sleight of hand, mentalism, mind reading and a celebration trick for your VIPs. A strong entry point for parties that need one standout segment done properly.
2. Platinum Corporate Entertainment (the most popular choice) – Close-up magic through the drinks reception and table magic through the meal, plus mentalism, mind reading, digital magic on mobile phones and a playing card guestbook to take home. The full shape of the evening will be covered, without the after-dinner show.
3. All Evening Deluxe Corporate Entertainment – The complete setlist: reception, table magic and a full show for the whole party before speeches, with the widest range of magic on offer, from mind reading to money manipulation, plus unlimited planning support and direct liaison with your venue.

Every package includes as much planning as you need via email, call or online meeting, so nothing is left to sort out on the night. 

If you’re planning a unique event, we can create a fully customisable package that suits your criteria, needs and vision for your event. We cater for various settings from roof top parties to smaller events that might just want magic weaved in throughout the night.

If you’re weighing up which part of the evening needs the magic most, book a call to discuss your event and Chris will help you work out the right fit. Or fill in the form and we’ll be in touch.