The BLACKPOOL MAGICIAN'S CONVENTION Announces Lineup

The Blackpool Magicians Convention is the largest convention of its kind in the world. Taking place every February, it is attended by over 3,500 magicians including regular visits by world famous names such as Dynamo and David Blaine.

Long revered as the ultimate magic hub, the convention is for the first time ever, throwing open its doors to the public in the form of three very special shows with performances from a number of the most exciting magical talents around the world. For the first time in its history, the secret veil of mystery has been pulled back , allowing the public to book and watch these exceptional shows, which are all being performed in The Opera House Theatre, Winter Gardens Blackpool on the 16th, 17th and 18th February 2018. Headline info below - after the main release.

FRIDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2018 - HEADLINER: ISSY SIMPSON

Leading the charge in a cast of the world's finest magicians and illusionists is ISSY SIMPSON, the nine year old magician who was the runner-up in Series 11 of Britain's Got Talent, leading Simon Cowell to exclaim, "This is like real life Harry Potter!"

Since BGT, Issy has fast become one of the most watched magicians, with over 200 million views online and an army of avid fans. She's recently been signed to ARG, the same management team who represent Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), has been awarded a prestigious award at the world famous Magic Circle. In March 2018 Issy will make her US prime-time television debut in Hollywood. "To perform in front of some of the world's greatest magicians is a dream come true and I can't wait to show them some of my magic", says Issy.

Friday sees Issy joined by a wealth of magical talent including fellow BGT 2017 finalist MATT EDWARDS who "combines magic and comedy for elaborate routines that have seen him compared to a modern Tommy Cooper" The Telegraph.

SATURDAY 17TH FEBRUARY - HEADLINERS: RICHARD CADELL & SOOTY

Saturday's show is headlined by RICHARD CADELL & SOOTY. In 2008, Sooty's 60th Anniversary, Richard took over the Sooty performances, touring with a new live show, with a script written by Matthew Corbett

They are joined by American expert card manipulator Richard Turner who has been honored with a Golden Lion Award in Magic, from Siegfried and Roy in 1982 and the Lynn Searles Award for Excellence in Card Manipulation. He is the 2015 recipient of the Close-Up Magician of the Year award from The Academy of Magical Arts, and was the subject of the hit movie documentary Dealt (2017).

SUNDAY NIGHT 18TH FEBRUARY 2018 Headliners MAGUS UTOPIA PRESENTING - "LOVE AFTER DEATH".

Sunday night welcomes MAGUS UTOPIA PRESENTING - "LOVE AFTER DEATH". Who recently performed in ITVs The Next Great Magician".

They are joined by MARTY PUTZ. Marty began his TV career hosting position on Fox's Emmy award winning kids show "Not Just News". Appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", Fox's "Comic Strip Live" and Comedy Central's "Make Me Laugh", have continued to establish him as a firm favourite in the world of comedy magic.

FRIDAY'S FULL LINE UP:

HEADLINER - ISSY SIMPSON

BGT 2017 finalist MATT EDWARDS

Todd Robbins - American magician, lecturer, actor, and author, Todd has featured on more than 100 television shows, which include multiple appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien; Masters of Illusion; and the NBC special Extreme Variety.

Aaron Crow, a Belgian mentalist, magician and danger-act, perhaps best known for his spectacular appearances on "Le Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde", "The Illusionists" and Britain's Got Talent. Clips of his performances have amassed over 12 million hits on YouTube (Aaron will also perform on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday night)

SYLVESTER THE JESTER an American magician, best known for playing a cartoon character who comes to life. Sylvester has had hundreds of stage and television appearances, including NBC's "World's Wildest Magic," and ABC's "Champions of Magic III",

Chris Hart a Canadian actor and magician, famous for playing "Thing", the disembodied hand, in the 1991, 1993, and 1998 movies The Addams Family, His sleight-of-hand magic has been featured in national television commercials for McDonald's, Honda and RCA. He has twice been awarded "Stage Magician of the Year" by Hollywood's Magic Castle.

Stephen Williams JNR won the title of World Junior General Magic Champion at the Showzam Festival in 2008. Since then he has toured with 'The Stephen Mulhern Show' and 'Tricky TV Live', and was one of the magicians and presenters in series three of the BAFTA award-winning 'Tricky TV'.

CRAIG CHRISTIAN With over 20 years performing on stage , Craig first found magic at the tender age of 5, going on to win the coveted Young Magician of the year award, becoming professional at 16, he has been thrilling audiences ever since. He appears at the convention following a German theatre tour with his show "Evolution of Magic".

SATURDAY'S FULL LINE UP

HEADLINER - RICHARD CADELL & SOOTY

American expert card manipulator Richard Turner

THE GREAT KAPLAN performed as guest 'balloonist' with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and appeared on ABC TV's "The View" and "The Statler Brothers Show" on TNN. Kaplan has won numerous awards including first place medals at the Canton Battle of Magicians and the Columbus Magi-fest and the "People's Choice" award at the 2 International Brotherhood of Magicians.

TC TAHOE was Magician of the Year two years in a row in the Parlour of Prestidigitation at Hollywoods famed Magic Castle. .

Aaron Crow

NIEK TAKENS - Niek has won the Dutch Championship of Magic several times and has won prizes in: France, Italy and England.

Pop Haydn - Whit "Pop" Haydn is an American magician, and the winner of seven performing awards from the Academy of Magical Arts. He has opened for Jerry Seinfeld, was the chief magic consultant on Norman Jewison's Bogus starring Whoopi Goldberg, Gérard Depardieu and Haley Joel Osment as well as a consultant on multiple television documentaries including the Discovery Channel's "Houdini, People Came to See Him Die" and David Copperfield's television special, "Orient Express."

FLUTEMAN - GABOR VOSTEEN is a musician and comedian. He combines virtuoso recorder music with visual comedy. Famous for playing several recorders at the same time, he is simply called FLUTEMAN. He has won numerous magic awards including the KleinKunstPreises Gauklerfestival Attendorn in 2017

SUNDAY'S FULL LINE UP

HEADLINER - MAGUS UTOPIA PRESENTING - "LOVE AFTER DEATH"

American TV magician MARTY PUTZ.

NOEL BRITTEN - Noel won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 1996 and Ha Bloody Ha New Act of the Year in the same year, he has since earned himself a solid reputation for comedy excellence on the circuit and beyond. Noel's work has also been featured on Channel 4 and BBC.

JAVIER BENETIZ - Renowned magicians Penn & Teller called Javier: "The best Sleight of Hand artist we´ve ever seen". Javier Benitez won the Spanish Society of Magicians Magician of the Year in 2011 is the President of the Magic Circle of Seville and has performed dozens of shows at the Magic Castle in Hollywood

Aaron Crow

LES CHAPEAUX BLANCS - a unique visual act of "black art" telling the marvellous adventures of two characters who perform in white on a black background. In 2012 they won the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques world championship and became World Magic Champions.

YO KATO - Hailing from Tokyo, Yo Kato won the FISM World Champion Manipulation in 2009.

Stuart MacDonald. Stuart is a 5x award-winner at the Society of American Magicians and The International Brotherhood of Magicians Combined Convention. He recently appeared on the CW's, Penn and Teller: Fool Us season 4 network TV show and in 2017 was inducted into the American Museum of Magic / Michigan Hall of Fame of Magic.

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