There's a good reason why magicians from all over the world have been flocking to Blackpool, England, every February for the last 72 years. They are all attendees of the world's biggest magic convention, and this year it was amazing!
With a superb line-up of lecturers, tens of close-up and stage performances throughout, over 160 dealers, and a whole host of new and exciting tricks to feast our eyes on, this indeed was a convention unlike any other.
But now, the Blackpool Magic Convention is officially done and dusted; every dealer has packed up shop, all the loose playing cards have been cleared away from the Winter Gardens floors, and Rick Thomas is flying home… literally.
So, whether you were lucky enough to attend the convention this year or you have been suffering from extreme FOMO for the last 5 days, we've got you covered.
One of the significant changes this year was to double up a few of the lecturers. Across the weekend, artists such as Marc Paul, Blake Vogt, Alyx Hilshey, and Jeki Yoo (to name but a few) did not one but two lectures.
Though some lectures still proved challenging to get into due to their demand (namely, Peter Turner's talk in the smaller Renaissance room), this was overall a great move and a massive upgrade from last year, when overcapacity was a big issue.
One of the standout lecturers was Michael Ammar, who lectured on both Saturday and Sunday. Later this year, Michael will embark on a UK tour, where he will deliver lectures to magic clubs across the country.
Yev Moskalov enthusiastically delivered an impressive array of card tricks and mentalism. He also spoke about adapting one's act when faced with the unexpected.
Last year, before a crucial corporate gig, Yev broke his left arm, which remained bound in a cast, essentially leaving him one-handed. Instead of canceling the gig, he phoned the client, explained the situation, and proceeded to create impossible card magic material that could be done with only one hand.
During a one-handed production of the four aces, a move that stood out, in particular, was a single-handed way to control an ace from the bottom to the top. It was exciting to learn how adversity can inspire creativity.
