Edinburgh · Lothians · Scotland
Fresh surprises for the festival city.
From a plenary at the EICC to a Burns supper in a historic hall, Isma Zmerli performs close-up magic and mentalism for corporate and private audiences in Edinburgh and across Scotland.
5.0 on Google (500+ reviews) · Performed in English · Under two hours from Paris by air
Formats for your event
An Edinburgh programme might run from a morning plenary at the EICC to a dinner in a museum gallery or aboard a former royal yacht. Each moment calls for a different kind of magic.
Pre-dinner drinks
While guests gather in a library or a grand gallery, Isma performs for a few people at a time. Coins, cards and borrowed objects behave impossibly in their own hands, and nobody has to leave the conversation to watch.
Suits receptions, Burns suppers and hospitality evenings.
The main event
After the toasts or the awards, a 20 to 45 minute stage show turns a few volunteers into the stars of the evening while everyone else watches each choice unfold.
Needs a stage area and a microphone.
Finance and tech
For Edinburgh’s finance, insurance and technology teams, Isma, who studied AI engineering before cognitive science at ENS Ulm, presents a magic show built around AI that pits human judgement against machine prediction, live.
For conferences, away days and launches.
Tell Isma about your audience and running order: he will help you choose, with no commitment. For a company event, see also corporate magician and mentalist.
Edinburgh and the Lothians
Flying from Paris to Edinburgh takes less than two hours. Isma performs in English and adapts every set to its setting, from a conference auditorium in the Exchange district to a historic library off the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh is famous for its August festivals and their packed programme of public shows. A private performance gives your guests something different: an experience that happens in their own hands, created for them alone.
Conferences
Conferences at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Morrison Street, in the Exchange financial district, or exhibitions at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, beside the airport: a stage feature opens or closes the day, close-up enlivens the evening drinks.
Dinners in the Old Town
Gala dinners in the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland, receptions at Edinburgh Castle or an evening in the Upper Library of the Signet Library on Parliament Square: sleight of hand over drinks, mentalism on stage when the meal begins.
Hotels, Leith and estates
Events at The Balmoral or The Caledonian on Princes Street, an evening aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith, or a Scottish gala night at Hopetoun House near South Queensferry.
Old Town, New Town, Exchange district, West End, Haymarket, Stockbridge, Leith, Portobello, Morningside, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh Park, Ingliston
South Queensferry, Linlithgow, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Dalkeith, Livingston, Fife, St Andrews, Stirling, Gleneagles, Glasgow
Less than two hours by air from Paris; Glasgow is about an hour away by train. The quote includes Isma’s travel.
Good to know: in August, the Festival Fringe, the International Festival and the Tattoo take over Edinburgh, and hotel rooms and venues are booked far ahead at higher rates. For a summer corporate event, consider late June, July or September, or book a year ahead.
What clients say
Corporate event · Mentalism
★★★★★
“A huge thank you to Isma! An incredible performance: our clients absolutely loved it. Professional, astonishing and incredibly friendly. We recommend him wholeheartedly!”
Corporate event · VIP guests
★★★★★
“Isma is fascinating and charismatic: the perfect experience and wow factor for our event with VIP guests. We were all amazed by his talent, and the guests are still talking about it.”
Company plenary · 200 employees
★★★★★
“Everyone loved the entertainment! […] He was very accommodating and tailored his performance to our company’s needs and industry.”
Meet Isma
On stage or up close with your guests, Isma turns surprise into an experience people share.
The art of capturing attention and getting your guests involved.
Trained in machine learning and deep learning.
A master’s degree exploring perception, attention and decision-making.
Easy to organise
One conversation is enough to get started, even if your programme is still taking shape.
Your questions
Yes. Burns suppers around 25 January are a popular way for Edinburgh companies to entertain clients and staff. Close-up fits the drinks reception, and a short stage set can follow the toasts without disturbing the traditional running order.
Yes, for a private event: while the Fringe fills theatres with public shows, a performance for your guests alone stays personal. Plan accommodation and venues early, as August is the city’s busiest month.
Yes, central Scotland is covered: Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Gleneagles in Perthshire, and the country houses of the Lothians and Fife. Name the venue in your first message.
Not at all. Close-up requires neither staging nor set-up, which suits historic spaces with strict rules on equipment and access times. Isma arrives early and coordinates with the venue’s event team, who generally supply the microphone for a stage show.
Yes: weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, in a city hotel, a country house or a private home. For weddings, see the wedding magician page.
Budgets vary with the date, the format, the length of the performance and the audience size, and the flight from Paris is part of the figure. A close-up set generally spans one to three hours depending on guest numbers, a stage show 20 to 45 minutes; the proposal arrives within 24 hours.
Let’s talk about your event
Share your date, venue and programme for a quote, or ask which format would suit your guests.
Reply within 24 hours.
Across Europe and beyond: a selection of our recent dates.
