Christmas 2026 • Nottingham
Christmas Shows
in Nottingham
2026
Tucked away inside BOX Nottingham is a room most people walking down Thurland Street don’t even know exists. Sixteen seats. One performer, a few feet away. Comedy, close-up magic and mind reading, close enough that you can watch it from the wrong angle and still not catch it.
Sixteen seats is not a typo. It is the whole idea — and it is why this is one of the most unusual Christmas nights out Nottingham has.
An intimate Christmas show in the middle of the city
Most Christmas entertainment in Nottingham asks you to sit a long way from the thing you paid to see. A 16-seat room does the opposite. Nobody is at the back, because there is no back. The magic happens at arm’s length — no distance to hide behind and nothing going on at the far end of a hall — and the mind reading works the same way: it is your thought, your card, your word, not a volunteer’s on a distant stage.
Tickets start at £35 and are for ages 16 and over. It is performed by Max Francis, close-up, in a room small enough that he knows everyone’s name by the end of it.
At around 60 minutes, it’s designed to fit perfectly into a Christmas night in Nottingham — experience the show before dinner, after visiting the Christmas market, or make it the highlight of your evening.
Why book this one
Everything that makes the Christmas show different from a traditional night out.
City-centre location
Thurland Street, minutes from Old Market Square.
Comedy, magic & mind reading
All three, a few feet away.
Only 16 guests
An intimate room where nobody is at the back.
Around 60 minutes
Designed to fit perfectly into your Christmas evening.
5-star Google reviews
Loved by guests who have experienced the show.
Exclusive private hire
Private hire is available for groups.
Exclusive Private Hire
Your group. Your show. No other guests.
For an extra-special Christmas night out, you can enquire about exclusively booking an entire performance of the Comedy Close-Up Magic Lounge.
Enjoy a private performance of comedy, close-up magic and mind reading from only a few feet away — exclusively for your friends, family, colleagues or clients.
Perfect for office Christmas parties, team nights out, client entertainment, family celebrations and groups of friends looking for something completely different this Christmas.
Christmas gift vouchers
Give them something impossible this Christmas
Looking for a Christmas present that’s a little more memorable than another pair of socks? Give them an experience instead.
Comedy Close-Up Magic Lounge gift vouchers can be used towards an unforgettable night of comedy, close-up magic and mind reading in Nottingham’s intimate 16-seat setting.
New Year's Eve at the Comedy Close-Up Magic Lounge
Performances coming soon. Leave your email to be the first to know when tickets are released.
Who it’s for
Sixteen seats makes this a different shape of night out, and it suits some groups unusually well.
01 • COUPLES
Couples
An hour of shared astonishment beats another dinner where you both check your phones. Our date night guide pairs it with twenty other ideas.
02 • FRIENDS
Friends
Four or six of you, close enough to the action to argue about how it was done all the way to the bar afterwards.
03 • CELEBRATIONS
Small groups & celebrations
Birthdays, reunions, visitors you want to impress with something they have not seen before.
04 • OFFICE CHRISTMAS NIGHTS OUT
Office Christmas nights out
For a team that would rather do something together than sit along a table. Book seats for your group, or take the whole room and make it a private Christmas party. No buffet and no disco — you’re booking the show itself.
WHAT GUESTS SAY
Rated 5.0 from 82 Google reviews
“Wow! What amazing night. Clever, funny and magical. Max you’re AMAZING”
— Julia P., Google review
“Great entertainment, Max the magician skilful and engaging with everyone. If you’re part of the audience you’re part of the show.”
— John B., Google review
“One of the most fun and original nights out I’ve had in a long time… You leave wondering how on earth any of it was possible.”
— Sarah, Google review
What to expect
Comedy, close-up magic and mind reading, performed a few feet away, for sixteen people at a time. No stage, no distance, no big production. Cards, coins, borrowed objects, thoughts you were sure were private — in a room where you can see all of it.
The close quarters change how the evening runs. People talk to each other. The reactions are part of the show. If you have only ever seen magic performed at a distance — on a stage or on television — this is a different thing entirely, and most people are not prepared for how different.
If you would rather know less going in, that is the right instinct. The show is better when it surprises you.
Christmas dates and times
For the Christmas season, additional Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening performances are added and Saturday show times change for the season
NEW FOR CHRISTMAS
A 5pm Saturday show.
For the first time, the show can be your Saturday evening rather than your Saturday afternoon.
Times change again in the new year, so every current date and time lives in one place, kept up to date:
Book ahead. There are only sixteen seats per performance.
Where to find us
BOX Nottingham
Thurland Street
Nottingham NG1 3DR.
Thurland Street sits just off the city centre, a short walk from Old Market Square and the Christmas market, and close to the main tram and bus routes. If you are already in town for the lights, you are already more or less here.
That location is worth knowing when you are planning the evening: you can walk out of the show and be back among the market stalls in a few minutes, which is not true of venues further out.
Christmas Market → Magic Show → Dinner & Drinks
The show fits easily into a full Christmas night out in Nottingham.
01 • BEFORE THE SHOW
Christmas market
Old Market Square is minutes away. Go early, walk through the stalls, then come to us.
02 • THE SHOW
The magic
Around 60 minutes, sixteen seats, a few feet away.
03 • AFTER
Dinner & drinks
Hockley and the Lace Market are both a short walk away and full of independent places.
For the wider picture of what the city has on, our things to do in Nottingham guide covers the rest of the year too.
How to book
From £35
Tickets start at £35 and are booked online in advance. Choose the date that suits you, and you will get your confirmation straight away.
PER PERSON
Frequently asked questions