Port of Salou · Costa Dorada
Close-up magic begins before the curtain rises, then come escapology, sleight of hand and grand illusions.
Even the teenagers put their phones down.
Worth it for families?
Yes, for a family or group that wants a seated night out the whole table can share, and that can match the dates. The show is billed as a family show: close-up magic comes first, then grand illusions, sleight of hand, escapology and comedy, with the audience drawn in. Selected drinks are included throughout. Dinner is included only on the early show with some ticket types. Choose the early show if dinner matters and the late show if you have already eaten.
A magic and illusion dinner show in an intimate theatre at Calle Espigó del Moll, by the port of Salou. You are welcomed and escorted to your seat, and there is close-up magic before the main show. The ticket comes in several packages that vary the seat, the drinks and the food, and dietary needs are given when you book.
It is not a theme park, not a gourmet dinner on every ticket and not an outdoor show. Transport to the theatre is not included, and neither are extra drinks or snacks from the bar. It is not a year-round fixture either: the dates are set.
Dates are limited, so look before you plan. The booking page lists every night currently on sale, and if your week is blank, a PortAventura night or a day on the coast can take the evening instead. Check dates when you book.
Four things to know
The magic on the bill
Magic is a family of arts rather than one trick, and the show names several of them. Here they are in the order a visitor meets them, each with a plain definition. The programme can change, so treat this as a sketch of the art, not a running order.
Programmes change. Nothing here promises a particular trick, effect or performer on the night you go.
Close-up magic, also called table magic, is performed in an intimate setting, usually within about three metres of the audience and often at a table. It uses everyday objects, above all cards and coins. The show opens with close-up magic before the main show.
Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation, is the set of fine finger skills behind many card and coin tricks. Wikipedia says it depends on psychology, timing and misdirection as well as dexterity, and that a good sleight looks like an ordinary gesture.
Stage illusions are performed for large audiences in a theatre, and Wikipedia says they are marked by large-scale props and the use of assistants. Maskelyne and Cooke, who ran a London show from 1873, invented many illusions still performed today, among them levitation.
Escapology is the branch of magic that deals with escapes from confinement or restraints. Wikipedia says Harry Houdini made it a recognised entertainment, with escapes from handcuffs, padlocks, straitjackets and barrels at the heart of the repertoire.
The show involves the audience, and comedy runs through it. On stage, Wikipedia says, rope tricks are typically done with a member of the audience to rule out the possibility of stooges, which is one reason magicians invite volunteers.
Wikipedia lists misdirection among the techniques magicians use, with sleight of hand, optical and auditory illusions and specially constructed props. It is the idea that ties every kind together, and it is why a trick done an arm's length away can still surprise you.
Magic show against a park night
The night, step by step
Five stops between the booking page and the final trick. Whatever is particular to your night sits in your confirmation.
Choose your date on the calendar, then your package: seat, drinks and food all change with the package. You can hold the booking now and pay later, and cancelling costs nothing up to 24 hours before curtain-up.
The theatre is at Calle Espigó del Moll, by the port of Salou. Arrive about half an hour before the show. Transport to the theatre is not included in the ticket.
You are welcomed and escorted to your seat in the intimate theatre. Dietary needs go in at booking, not at the door.
Close-up magic comes before the main show, in the room and close to the audience.
Grand illusions, sleight of hand, escapology, comedy and audience interaction, with selected drinks throughout: wine, sangria, beer and soft drinks. Dinner is included on the early show with some ticket types.
Inside the booking
What is in the booking and what is left out, in seven short entries.
The seafront and the port
The photographs here show Salou's port, seafront and promenade, from the Monument to Fishermen to the lighthouse. None is of the theatre or the show.
Fill the rest of the week
First comes the Salou magic show itself, then PortAventura by night, a PortAventura day ticket and a catamaran cruise from Cambrils to fill the days around it.
A family show in a small theatre by the port: close-up magic first, then grand illusions, with selected drinks poured throughout the evening.
An evening ticket for PortAventura Park, sold for set dates, for families who want rides after dark.
A one, two or three day ticket that covers PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land, for a full day at the parks.
A three-hour catamaran outing from Cambrils with drinks, lunch and swimming, for a daytime on the water.
Other bookings around Salou
Before you go
Keep reading
FAQ
Yes, if you want a seated show the whole table can share. It is billed as a family show, with close-up magic, grand illusions and comedy. It is not a theme park and not a gourmet dinner.
The show and selected drinks throughout: wine, sangria, beer and soft drinks. Dinner comes with the early show on some ticket types. Transport and extra bar drinks or snacks cost extra.
Book the early show if dinner matters, since dinner is included only on the early show with some tickets. The late show is drinks only. Your confirmation shows the start time.
No. It runs on set dates, not nightly, so check the booking calendar first.
At Calle Espigó del Moll, by the port of Salou, near the port end of the Passeig Jaume I.
The evening takes up to three hours, and it is worth adding about thirty minutes to arrive and settle.
Yes, the booking lists the show as wheelchair accessible. Check the booking page for your package.
Give them when you book. The booking asks for them, so tell the booking and not the door.
No. Independent guide: unconnected to the theatre, its operator or its performers. Tickets are booked through GetYourGuide.
Prices appear in whichever currency you choose on the calendar, taxes and fees included.