The judges will be looking for the most entertaining and magical performance of close-up magic in a formal setting. The duration of the act should be a minimum of six minutes and a maximum of eight minutes. Any act finishing outside of these times will be automatically disqualified. Technique, presentation, content and appearance will be taken into consideration. Originality will be considered only for the Originality Prize.

The competition performances will take place in the Devant Room before a small invited audience comprising of lay persons and judges and will be screened in the theatre for members to watch. The competition will be video recorded and may also be streamed live via the internet to a suitable members only area. Footage may be used at the discretion of The Magic Circle.