A private New Year’s Eve party has one unavoidable appointment: midnight. Everything before it needs a little more imagination than watching someone repeatedly check how long is left.
New Year’s Eve party entertainment in Charlotte can give adult guests a shared highlight well before the countdown. Comedy close-up magic, con games, or a theatrical séance can fit a dinner party or private gathering at home. You provide the occasion. I’ll provide the reason the year ends with several unresolved questions.
I’m Timothy Starnes, a Charlotte magician, necromancer, and comedy conjurer. I’m most known for my East Coast touring comedy séance, and I’m also a trained comedy and bar magician. Text me your December 31 plans to check availability; a planning guide is not a promise that a particular time is open.
Choose how much of the evening the show should occupy
A comedy magic station suits a social party where guests want to finish conversations, get food, and join an activity when they’re ready. I perform from a dedicated station, giving people a place to gather for cards, props, con games, bar bets, and dice magic.
A seated close-up show can give an intimate dinner party a clear second act. We’ll plan the seating, sightlines, and timing around the meal. My typical party work runs one to two hours, with the performance length adjusted to the event.
A theatrical comedy séance needs a complete two-hour window and a suitable intimate arrangement. I suggest about 10–15 guests, or as many as the dining table can comfortably accommodate. Timothy Starnes & His Many Night Visitors brings spirit magic, haunted storytelling, dark comedy, and audience involvement to the evening.
The séance is theatrical entertainment, not mediumship or a promise to contact deceased loved ones. You can also leave it out entirely. See how the performance choices compare.
Work backward from the countdown
Decide when you want the group free to refill drinks, find the countdown, and prepare for midnight. Then choose a show window that finishes comfortably before that point.
Here are two illustrative schedules to discuss, not advertised booking slots:
- A social evening: dinner before 8 p.m.; a magic station from 8–10 p.m.; dessert and conversation afterward; guests gather for the countdown around 11:45 p.m.
- A haunted dinner party: dinner and clearing finished before 8:30 p.m.; the two-hour séance from 8:30–10:30 p.m.; time afterward for dessert, photographs, and the countdown.
We would confirm the actual timing and arrival arrangements before booking. If dinner runs late, a two-hour show cannot simply be compressed into the final twenty minutes of the year. I do magic. Calendar fraud is a different department.
Give the performance a quiet, visible home
My standard setup is a table and three chairs, or a coffee table with ample seating for the audience in front and to the sides. Keep the working surface separate from the food buffet and somewhere people can gather without blocking a doorway.
I don’t use a sound system. Tell me about music, a DJ, television, or other entertainment sharing the room. Guests need to hear the story and see the action; we should plan when the volume comes down and when the party music takes over.
For a seated performance, arrange the view before everyone sits down. If you’re considering a porch or outdoor space, discuss a suitable indoor alternative with me. For a rental or hired venue, confirm permission for the gathering and outside entertainment, along with guest limits and the planned finish time.
Make the guest list part of the planning
My shows are for adults 18 and up. If children will attend your overall party, tell me early so we can determine whether a separate adult show period or area is practical. I don’t provide children’s entertainment or supervision.
Describe the atmosphere you want: playful challenges, dark comedy, eerie storytelling, or a traditional magic show. Tell me how much the guests enjoy participation and whether any subjects should be left alone.
The entertainment works for a party with cocktails, mocktails, or no alcohol at all. Give everyone enough time to settle in before a shared seated show. A clear invitation can explain dinner, the activity, and the expected end of the evening without requiring a committee meeting.
Send the details for your New Year’s Eve quote
Contact me with the date and year, venue or home address, adult guest count, preferred format, and proposed performance window. Include dinner timing, other entertainment, and any firm finish time. Those details let us discuss availability and a personalized quote.
Parties outside the Charlotte, NC area have a two-hour minimum. We’ll confirm any travel costs and the full booking total before you reserve. A signed agreement and booking retainer secure the date, with payment and event terms set out in the agreement.
Read about close-up magic for private parties or the comedy séance show, then text Tim at 704-698-7286. If you’re planning an employer-hosted celebration, the company holiday party guide also covers dinner, awards, and speeches.
Start the new year with a story worth telling. Your resolutions can become mysterious later.