30/01/2023
Handig!!
The Blackpool Magic Convention Beginners Guide
It’s nearly that time of year again! Once Christmas and New Year are over and done with, magicians start their own countdown. They countdown to a weekend in February, to visit a seaside town in the UK, whilst it’s freezing cold.
But, the thing they are really counting down to is the worlds largest magic convention - This is the Blackpool Magic Convention.
If you have never been before, hopefully this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the convention!
So, when is the convention?
The convention happens every February, generally on the weekend of the school half term holidays. Or, you could say it’s the second to last weekend of February. This year, the convention runs from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th February 2023. The dates for the following year are announced in the programme which is given to you upon arrival - handy to book it into your diary, and rebook your accommodation for next time too!
How do I get involved?
Over the recent years, we’ve really got involved with social media and have an active and busy community online.
You can Like us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/blackpoolmagic
Follow us on Instagram -
We also have a community group on Facebook where attendees can chat and make plans, as well as get excited about events within the convention. Just search on Facebook for “Blackpool Magic Conventioneers”
Where is the convention?
The entire convention is held within the Blackpool Winter Gardens (http://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk). It is entirely self-contained with amenities available, so thee isn't too much trailing about to do. The Winter Gardens consists of several exhibition spaces all under one roof.
Where should I stay?
Well, the beauty of Blackpool is that it has literally hundreds of Hotels and B+Bs to chose from! If you want to stay as close to the action as possible, you should try to find a B+B on Albert road. These rooms generally range from £20-40 per night, depending on entirely where you stay. Most magicians try to stay on Albert Road as it is a 5 minute walk from The Winter Gardens (WG), and is where the Convention HQ is situated - The Ruskin (but more about that place later!). The accommodation is cheap and cheerful, and you really do get what you pay for, but usually you get a reasonable bed, a slightly below average shower and a greasy fry up for breakfast.
If you aren't sure on where to stay, this link will help as a bit of a guide to some of the hotels in the area (but they aren't necessarily on Albert Road, but they may only be a street or two away) http://www.hotels.uk.com/attractions-uk/The+Winter+Gardens.htm
Great stuff, now tell me about the tickets…
Okay, so there is a couple of ways you can do the convention. You can come just for a day, and buy a ticket for that day. Alternatively, most people buy what is known as the Gold Registration. This option offers the best value for money. You get entry to all three days, and tickets to all three of the evening Gala shows. Make sure you book your tickets in advance! That way you are guaranteed entry. The last thing you want to do is travel all the way to Blackpool and get to the desk and risk there being no tickets available.
We also offer a VIP registration, however the number is extremely limited and sold out in a matter of weeks upon launch. You are able to select the exact seat you would like for the Gala shows when booking, which means you know exactly what to expect, rather than it being a lottery of sorts.
Should I book on my own?
It depends really, you will meet loads of people at the convention, but try to book in with a friend. This way you will have someone you know sat next to you during the evening Gala shows. You could also do a room share on your B+B to save money further. Blackpool Magic Convention is an extremely social and friendly event, so even if you attend by yourself, you are bound to make brand new friends.
How do I get tickets?
It's dead simple really, just visit the website www.blackpoolmagicconvention.com - you can even purchase Gold registrations on the door, but these are extremely limited. The only way to guarantee a weekend Gold Registration is to book in advance. You can also purchase individual day tickets and show tickets online, and on the door if you are unexpectedly free on the convention weekend.
When is the best time to get to Blackpool?
That is down to personal preference really. Personally, I always arrive the day before the convention starts - this gives me chance to get to my accommodation, unpack, catch up with friends and get a bite to eat before it all starts. The Blackpool Magicians Club hold a jumbo auction on the Thursday afternoon at the Winter Gardens, and also you are able to register on the Thursday! Registration desks are open from 9am until 5.30pm Thursday to Saturday, and 9am-5pm on Sunday.
I’ve booked my tickets and the convention is only a few days away - now what?
To collect your registration, you just need to bring a recognised Photo ID. This could be a driving licence or a passport, a National photo ID card or Student ID. You can bring a photocopy of these documents if you like and they will be accepted, but you MUST bring some form of ID otherwise your registration cannot be released.
If you are catching the train, you should book your train tickets in advance to get the cheeps deal on the seats. There is three train Stations in Blackpool, you want to be aiming for Blackpool North Train Station. This one is only a 5-10 minute walk away from the Winter Gardens and Albert Street. There are great connections by train to Blackpool from Manchester (usually with a connection at Preston). There is also a train from Manchester Airport for our International delegates to conveniently, and affordably transfer to Blackpool. Trains from Manchester to Blackpool usually take take about 75 minutes. You can plan your route to Blackpool via train, by using http://www.nationalrail.co.uk
If you are driving, you will find Blackpool at the end of M55 and is easy to drive to from most areas of the UK. There is plenty of parking available in Blackpool, some car parks are better than others. Generally speaking, in the council run car parks, 96 hours parking is approximately £20. In private car parks however, it can be £20 per day. Make sure you check the charges upon entry to the car parks.
Most people will have parked in the Coral Island Car Park previously. This is now however a building site,so you will need to find an alternative moving forwards.�For a list of local car parks and the charges, visit this link: �https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residents/Parking-roads-and-transport/Parking/Car-parks/Blackpool-car-parks.aspx
Blackpool has plenty of fine places to eat which are great to grab a quick bite. It’s well worth checking out restaurant vouchers on the MoneySavingExpert website (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-restaurant-deals) they WILL come in really handy for you for places like Bella Italia, Pizza Hut etc. Print them off, and take them with you. I’ll go into more detail about eating places later on in this guide
One thing that I’ve done in the past to coincide with the convention, is sign up for a free trial of TasteCard. This will give you 2for1 deals on many chain and some indecent restaurants in the area.
There are a few things that are well worth taking. First of all, take some kind of rucksack or satchel. This will be essential as somewhere to store your programme of events, and somewhere to put all the goodies that you buy! In your small bag (be aware, bags are subject to spot checks in the interest of security), you should also carry a pen and notepad, a deck of cards (someone is bound to want to session with you at some point!), a drink, some energy tablets , indigestion tablets and some Paracetamol. The last three will be essentials for survival! Blackpool is a long, action-packed weekend so taking care of your health and well-being during the weekend is important.
I’m here! Now what do I do?
The simple answer is to head to The Ruskin! The Ruskin (http://ruskinhotel.com) is the convention HQ, and is where most of the big acts will stay - it is also a Hotel with three bars, so plenty of room to get a drink and session. Most people will head here on Thursday evening to catch up with old friends. If you don’t know many people, don’t be afraid to talk to new people there. Magicians are generally a nice group, and you will make new friends pretty quickly. After a few drinks and a bit of sessioning, head back to your hotel for a decent nights sleep - you will need it!
Morning! It’s Friday, I’m up, have only a little bit of a hangover and I’m ready to start!
Great stuff, get up, get your breakfast and head up to the Winter Gardens. Events are on from 9am. Whatever you do, DON’T FORGET YOUR REGISTRATION DETAILS!!! You take this to the registration desk and exchange it for your lanyard. This is your ticket - keep it on you at all times. This is how you get in to the convention. If you don’t have it, with you, they wont let you in, simple as! (Also, please note that lanyards and wristbands are non-transferable. This means don’t share it with your friend who is too tight to buy their own registration - we have a strict policy when it comes to registration sharing). There will be some morning lectures and shows, and you will be able to grab a coffee before the dealers hall gets too busy.
Ooooh, the Dealer Hall, that sounds fun!
It is, its two huge rooms full of magic suppliers from all over the world. Generally they have about 160 different dealers there! TOP TIP - DONT rush in and spend all your money on day one! Just go for a wander round the dealer hall on day one, and maybe just by the essential refills you might need. Save your money, and use your notepad to write down the deals or the things you want to buy, you can then always discuss these things with your magic buddies in the bar and see what they think before committing your money and buying. Also, if you wait until Sunday late afternoon to buy from the suppliers from overseas, they generally offer deals to shift stock so they don’t have to fly home with it all! Don’t be afraid to try and haggle a little bit - but don’t push your luck and upset anyone!
What else is there to do today?
The best way to find out what going on is by downloading our app (released soon!). You can go and see some lectures, go see the close up shows and competitions, enjoy the atmosphere, and importantly try to make some friends! In the evening there will be a Gala show to watch too.
I’m getting hungry - when should I eat?
Okay, there is a certain way to do this. Ideally you should eat your evening meal as early as you can. The restaurants do get full really quickly as everyone wants to eat before the evening show. There are loads of chain restaurants on the shopping precinct, and loads of great independent family run restaurants too. You will find your favourite places to go soon enough, and don’t forget to get your vouchers to see what you can save some money on. Either before you eat of after you eat, you should head back to your hotel to freshen up, leave your bags and maybe have a quick nap. Then, get yourself back for the Gala Show!
Oooh, what’s the Gala Show?
The Gala show is a magic spectacular which happens each night of the convention. You can see the very best magicians from across the world, throughout three evening shows.
There are two showings of the Gala show each night. At 6.15pm and 8.45pm. This means that everyone has an opportunity to get a good seat, rather than some people being stuck up in the nosebleeds!
What do I do when the ‘other’ Gala show is on?No need to worry, extra ‘Fringe’ shows and lectures have been put on throughout these times in different venues within the Winter Gardens complex, so no matter what time your Gala Show is, theres something to do when the other one is on!
Show done, I had great fun! Now what?
Head down to The Ruskin! Have a few beers, and enjoy the social! Be warned though, it will be really busy there!! TOP TIP - order two drinks at once and double-park them. It will save you having to battle to the bar quite as often. It gets absolutely mental at the bar after the shows, and can be 5 or 6 people deep.
Morning… I have a hangover, but I’m up and I’m ready to go!
Great stuff, do it all again! The programme structure is pretty similar, with lectures and close up shows or competitions during the day, and then an Evening Gala show. Sit down with a coffee each morning and plan your day, there will be clashes in lectures so work out what you really want so see.
Repeat on Sunday too!
