Magician Amsterdam — Oliver Henke
Close-up magic for Amsterdam events
A German close-up magician and mentalist, booked across Europe and available for events in Amsterdam. Entertainment for rooms that were never built for a stage.
What it is
Magic that happens in your guests' own hands
Not a stage act. No announcement, no set-up, no break in your schedule — Oliver Henke moves from group to group, and the card is in your guest's hand.
The difference
He steps into a group of five or six people, performs for three to five minutes and moves on. No microphone, no lighting cue, no moment where the room has to fall silent. Your run of show stays exactly as you planned it.
The practical effect matters as much as the astonishment: after a piece, people talk to each other. Guests who had only nodded across the room start a conversation about what they just watched. For a reception where the point is that people meet, that is a more reliable tool than any seating chart.
And because nothing is installed and nothing is announced, a delay costs you nothing. If dinner slips by twenty minutes, he simply keeps working the room.
The Amsterdam room
Beautiful venues, no stage space
Canal houses, listed interiors, narrow floors with low ceilings: Amsterdam has some of the most attractive event spaces in Europe and almost none of them have room for a stage.
Nothing has to be installed
No truss, no lighting, no speakers, no cabling across a 17th-century floor. He arrives, leaves a bag somewhere and starts. For a venue with preservation rules, that is often the difference between yes and no.
It works across several small rooms
Where a canal house splits guests over three floors, a single act on one of them reaches a third of the room. He moves between the groups instead of asking everyone to gather.
An international audience by default
Amsterdam corporate events rarely have one shared first language. The pieces happen in the guests’ hands and need no translation; the spoken parts run in English.
Why it works
Knowing that engineers scrutinise magic more closely than most, you managed within minutes to make us doubt our own grasp of physics.
Dr. J. StinnesbeckE.ON Engineering, Rotterdam
Formats
Three ways to use him in Amsterdam
Which one carries your evening depends on your run of show, not on your budget.
Close-up magic
Two to three hours, moving between your guests. No stage, no sound, no technical requirements.
Stage show & mentalism
30 to 50 minutes with volunteers from your audience in the leading roles. Needs a seated room of roughly 60 guests or more.
Both in one evening
The most requested combination: close-up during the reception, the stage set later.
We were thoroughly impressed by the professionalism and the sheer level of the performance. What struck us most was the closeness he built with the audience.
Event management
Romaco Group
Our guests and we were left speechless more than once. The audience was picked up perfectly and left astonished. Our expectations were exceeded by a distance.
Event management
Hexagon
He works in a smart, modern way that genuinely enchants people. Absolutely recommended.
Philipp Sauer
GEDORE
Before you ask
What organisers in Amsterdam ask most
Does he travel from Germany for a single event?
Yes. Oliver Henke is based in Essen, Germany, and works internationally — his regular circuit covers more than ten European capitals including Vienna, Paris, Stockholm, Monaco, Milan and Rome, and he has performed twice in Los Angeles. Flights and accommodation are itemised separately in the written quote, so you see the travel portion before you commit.
Our venue is a canal house with very little space.
That is close to the ideal case. Close-up magic needs no floor area of its own — he works standing in the group that is already there. Only a stage set would need a clear area and a microphone, and that is a separate decision.
How far in advance should we book?
For an international date, three to six months is comfortable — it keeps flight costs sensible. Shorter notice is worth asking about; single dates do come free. You will know within 24 hours whether yours is available.
Is the show performed in English?
Yes, the entire show runs in English. A large part of the repertoire needs no language at all — your guests shuffle, choose and hold the objects themselves. That is why it works for mixed international audiences where a speaker or a comedy set would lose half the room.
What does he need on site?
For close-up magic, nothing: no power, no microphone, no stage, no table. Somewhere to leave a jacket and a bag is enough. A stage set additionally needs a wireless microphone and a clear area of roughly ten by seven feet.
How many guests can he reach in one evening?
In two to three hours he typically reaches 80 to 150 guests in small groups. Above that, either the time is extended or the effort is focused on the areas where people gather — reception, bar, terrace.
Does he claim to have psychic abilities?
No. The mentalism is presented as what it is: a piece of craft. In front of an audience that questions things for a living, that is the only approach that works — and it takes nothing away from the effect.
What does it cost?
It depends on duration, guest numbers, format and travel. No price list is published, because a flat figure would mislead you. You receive a written fixed-price quote for your actual run of show, usually within 24 hours, travel included and itemised.
Read on
The formats in detail
Close-up magic
Magic among your guests — no stage, no technology, no programme slot.
To close-up magicStage show
30 to 50 minutes of magic and mind reading as the shared highlight of the evening.
To the stage showTell me about your event.
Occasion, date and rough guest count are enough to start. From that it is easy to say which format carries your evening — and where in the run of show it belongs.