Birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, milestones: the events where the only brief is to make it a great night for people you actually know. That is a different job from a corporate room. The crowd is mixed in age, the space is often a home or a small venue, and the host wants to be a guest at their own party rather than running it. We have been booking Sydney parties since 2003 and most of the skill is matching the act to the room and the crowd rather than to a theme.
Every act comes with public liability insurance and a briefing on your night, so the only thing you have to do is tell us about the party.
Is it a children's party? Our kids' entertainers hold a Working With Children Check and can hold a room of six year olds.
See kids' shows →What we book for private parties
- Close-up magicians: working the groups during drinks or table to table between courses. No stage, no sound, works in a lounge room as well as a function centre. Magicians are the most booked acts on our roster.
- Party bands and DJs: for the night that is about the dance floor, chosen for a crowd that runs from the grandparents to the kids' friends.
- Comedy hypnotists: for 60 or more guests who know each other well and have had a drink. At a 50th that describes the room exactly.
- Mentalists: mind reading for a crowd that thinks it has seen every magician, close-up or as a short set after dinner.
- Caricaturists and roving acts: a drawing to take home, a stunt or juggling act, a character in costume moving through the party.
- Feature shows: an aerial or dance act, a fire show for an outdoor party at dusk, a tribute or impersonator for a themed night.
- An MC: for a big milestone with speeches, someone to hold the room and keep the toasts to time.
Occasions
- Milestone birthdays: 30ths, 40ths, 50ths and 60ths, at home, in a restaurant's private room or a hired venue. The format follows the guest count: close-up magic for 30, a hypnotist or a band for 100.
- Anniversaries and engagements: quieter, close-up entertainment that lets people keep talking, with a jazz or acoustic set underneath.
- Christmas at home: a roving magician or a caricaturist for the extended family on the day, or a party band for a December celebration in a venue.
- Family parties with children: one act that works for both ages, or a short kids' set followed by an adult one. See kids' shows.
- Themed nights: an Elvis for a 60s night, a samba troupe for a Latin party, a burlesque or showgirl act for a cabaret theme, matched to a crowd that will enjoy it.
Acts we book most for private parties
For the drinks and dinner, Phoenix, "The Mind Guy" is our most requested roving act, Zarbo Magic has performed close-up magic for over twenty years, Liam Power and The Gentleman Magician suit a more formal dinner, and Adam Dean brings the comedy. For a room of 60 or more that wants to laugh, Isaac Lomman and Shane Hill are the comedy hypnotists we send. For the dance floor, Party Anthem Band, Planet Groove Band and Almost Famous Band are the Sydney party bands that get a mixed crowd up. Sam the Caricaturist and The Cartoon Girl send guests home with a drawing, Captain Finhead is a stunt and juggling act for an outdoor party, Champagne Chandelier and Aerial Acts make a feature moment, and Elvis to the T and Entertainment Dance Creations cover the themed nights.
How booking works
- Tell us the party. Use the finder or contact us with the date, where it is, how many guests, the age range, the budget and the kind of night you want. If it is at home, tell us about the space, the power and the neighbours.
- We shortlist and check availability. A small number of matched acts with real video and honest advice on what fits the room, not a long list to sort through yourself.
- One confirmation, one invoice. The act is briefed on your night, insurance is sorted, and it all runs through one invoice, whether it is one magician or a magician and a band.
Why book party entertainment through an agency
- We have watched every act on the roster work a real room, which is the one thing a video cannot tell you about a performer in your lounge room.
- If the act falls ill on the day there is someone to call, and the party still happens.
- Insurance certificates, power and space requirements and the finish time are sorted before the night, not on it.
- Honest advice first. If the act you want will not fit the space or the crowd, we will say so and suggest the one that will.
Private party acts on the roster
Private party entertainment FAQs
What entertainment works for a 40th or 50th with about 80 guests?
That size suits almost everything. A close-up magician or a mentalist working the groups during drinks is the safest start. After dinner, a comedy hypnotist is a strong choice at 80 guests who know each other, a party band or a DJ if the night is about dancing, or a feature act like an aerialist or a fire show if the venue allows it. Tell us the room and the crowd and we will say which fits.
Can you book entertainment for a party in a house or a backyard?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. Close-up magic, caricatures and roving acts need no stage and almost no space. A band or DJ in a home needs power, a flat area to set up and a word with the neighbours about the finish time, and we will tell you honestly if the space is too small for what you have in mind and suggest what will work instead.
How much does party entertainment cost?
It depends on the act, how long they perform, the date and travel. A roving magician for a two hour cocktail period is priced differently to a five piece band with sound and lighting. Tell us the party and the budget, which stays with us, and the shortlist we send back comes with quotes attached.
Do you book kids' party entertainers?
Yes. Children's magicians, games and character shows are on our kids' shows page, and every performer we book for a children's event holds a current Working With Children Check. For a family party with both adults and children we can book one act that works for both or two short sets, one for each.
How far ahead should we book?
A few weeks is usually enough for most of the year. Saturdays in November and December, when private parties compete with corporate Christmas functions for the same acts, need the earliest notice, and so does any date where you want one specific performer. If in doubt, ask early and we will check the date.
Do you book private parties outside Sydney?
Yes. Sydney is where most of the roster is based, and we have acts in Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth, booked through the same process. Where a local act suits the party we use them; otherwise we bring the right act in and quote the travel up front.
Further reading
Not sure who's right?
Take the finder or tell us about your event - we'll shortlist the right acts and check availability.
Find My Entertainment →Ask Us to Recommend