FISM – World Championship Of Magic: Magic’s Greatest Stage

Did you know that we mere magicians have our version of the Olympics? OK, there’s no running, jumping or breakdancing, but there are…well, card tricks! This is FISM, the World Championship of Magic, and it can be as captivating as the Olympic Games. Well, maybe to us magicians that is!

Just as the Olympics celebrate skill, diversity, and dedication, FISM amazes with its blend of trickery and creativity. Magicians from all over the globe compete in categories like stage magic, close-up magic, micro-magic, and mentalism. These competitions showcase technical precision, engaging performances, and innovative routines that push the boundaries of what’s possible in magic.

Olympic Rings
Fism Logo

What is FISM?


FISM, or if you fancy trying out your French, the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (or the International Federation of Magic Societies), is the world’s largest organisation dedicated to magicians. Founded in 1948, it boasts 106 affiliated societies across more than 50 nations. It is split into six continental regions, each of which conducts its qualifying events, selecting only the best magicians to compete at the finals. A process very similar to the one for qualifying for the Olympic Games.

How it works:

Just like the Olympic athletes, competitors are judged on several categories, which are:

  • Technical Skill / Handling
  • Showmanship / Presentation
  • Entertainment Value
  • Originality
  • Magic Atmosphere

The competition spans a week, with numerous other events taking place in the surrounding area. Spectators can attend magic lectures, meet a multitude of dealers, and, of course, share knowledge and a beer with fellow magicians.

The Olympics and FISM feature a variety of competitions in which individuals and teams showcase their skills. While Olympians might compete in sports ranging from gymnastics to swimming, magicians instead compete in categories such as stage magic, close-up magic, micro-magic, and mentalism.

Just like the Olympics, contestants apply through their national magicians’ society—the Magic Circle here in the UK. Through competitions and selections, the best acts can advance to continental competitions, and then to international competitions. This is like winning the European Athletic Championship to qualify for the Olympics.

The competition acts themselves are performed in front of a live audience and have a stringent time limit – a few seconds over, and you are eliminated. The strictness is evident in the fact that not everyone receives a gold medal, and sometimes no winner is declared if the judges believe no one is suitable.

Unlike the Olympics, FISM is held every 3 years at a different place around the world. I was lucky enough to see it once, when it was held here in the UK in 2012, in sunny Blackpool… a bit different to other places it has been held in recent years, such as Beijing, Stockholm and Quebec City.

Find out more at the FISM website

Adrian Salamon
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