Magicians & Illusionists
Magic works because it happens right in front of you.
Specialty entertainment for events in Calgary
Specialty entertainment is everything beyond the band and the DJ: magicians, aerial and cirque acts, comedians and emcees, roving performers and headline names. Shaw Entertainment arranges these on request for events in Calgary and across Canada.
Want something different?
Shaw Entertainment can help you explore unique entertainment ideas designed to give your guests an experience they won't forget.
Five places to start
Aerial, Cirque & Fire
Some acts change how a room looks.
Comedians, Emcees & Speakers
The person holding the microphone sets the tone for everyone else.
Interactive & Roving Acts
Not every act needs a stage.
Headliners & Recording Artists
Sometimes the event needs a name.
Occasions it suits
- Corporate EventsMake your next corporate event something your guests will actually talk about.
- Fundraisers & GalasKeep your guests entertained while creating an evening they'll remember.
- Holiday PartiesDecember fills up before anyone expects it to.
- Stampede EventsFor ten days in July, every patio in Calgary is a venue.
- Private PartiesBirthday parties, anniversaries, celebrations, reunions, holiday parties, and milestone events deserve great entertainment.
- Festivals & Special EventsBring your event to life with entertainment that gets people involved.
- WeddingsYour wedding deserves a soundtrack that's as memorable as the celebration itself.
What to tell us
Four things let us match the act to the event. If you don't know one of them yet, say so and we will work with what you have. Booking more than one act? See how we plan the entertainment around your agenda.
- The room
- Ceiling height, floor space and sightlines matter more for a specialty act than for almost anything else.
- Guest count
- A roving act works a reception very differently from a seated room of several hundred.
- The mood
- Elegant, playful, a surprise. Tell us what you want guests to say on the way home.
- The programme
- Whether it runs through the reception or lands as one moment in the evening.
What affects the cost of specialty entertainment?
The act itself, how many performers are involved, how long they perform, the date and the season, travel, and what the act needs from the room, such as staging, sound or rigging. Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with a quote once we know what is involved.
Questions people ask
- Do you keep specialty acts on a roster?
- No. Specialty entertainment is arranged on request. Tell us what you have in mind and we will look for the right performer, and find out who is free for your date.
- What counts as specialty entertainment?
- Everything beyond the band and the DJ: magicians for receptions and stage shows, aerial, cirque and fire acts, comedians and emcees, roving performers and headline names. Each has its own page with examples of what we can arrange.
- We have an idea that is not on your list. Can you help?
- Ask. The lists on these pages are a starting point. If we can arrange it we will tell you how, and if we cannot we will say so.
- How far ahead should we ask about a specialty act?
- As early as you can. Some acts depend on the venue's approval or on equipment, and those conversations take time.
- Does the venue need to approve a specialty act?
- Sometimes. Ceiling height, floor space and sightlines matter more for a specialty act than for almost anything else, and some acts depend on the venue's approval or on equipment. Tell us the venue early and we will ask the questions that decide it.
Tell us about your night
Choose the occasion and what you are looking for. It takes a few minutes and gives us a proper brief to work from.