How Much Does a Children’s Entertainer Cost?
You might not have hired a children’s entertainer before, and so you might be asking yourself this question: How much does a children’s entertainer cost?
Well, I’m always happy to help my clients, which is one of the reasons I offer a comprehensive FAQs page and a free downloadable party planning guide as part of the service to everyone who enquires with me. In this article, I’ll go further and explore how much a children’s entertainer costs in the UK.
Looking for a quick answer? budget at least £275 for two hours of entertainment, and £200 for one hour of entertainment.
The first piece of advice that I always give to everyone, is to remember that there is a difference between cost and value. The cheapest is often not the best value.
It’s much better to spend a little more to get something that actually does what you’re paying for – i.e. entertain the children and make the party stress free for you, rather than pay less and have 30 bored children tearing around your home or party venue.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF HIRING A CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINER?
The cost of a children’s entertainer in the UK can vary widely depending on several factors, including the type of entertainment, the experience and reputation of the entertainer, and the location of the event, so with that in mind, I’ve set the following criteria:
- the event is within my normal performing area (about an hour’s drive from my home).
- the event is during the weekend, and not outside of my timeslots, which are 11am to 1pm or 3pm to 5pm.
- there are about 30 children
- for 30 children I would suggest my full two hour party package (magic show and party games) although I also have a an option where I only provide one hour of entertainment and that, of course, reduces the price.
Based on that criteria, I would recommend that you budget at least £275 to hire a professional children’s entertainer, in that case a children’s magician.
How did I get to this price? I asked some magician / entertainer friends of mine at different stages of their career how much they charged. The cheapest was £240 and the most expensive was £450, so if you set aside £275 you should be able to find someone of a good standard. At the time of writing (2023) my price for the event criteria given would fall around the £295 mark.
If you went for one of my lower one hour packages, the price is around £200 to £250.
WHAT IS THE COST OF HIRING OTHER TYPES OF ENTERTAINER?
First up, it’s worth saying that I don’t recommend all of these for a children’s party. Please see my other blogpost: Which entertainment works best for a children’s party? for more detail on what I recommend based on 1000’s of parties, and why!
However, some common types of children’s entertainers and their estimated cost range are:
Per Party Pricing
Magician: £250 – £450
Children’s DJ: £200 – £450
General Entertainer: £200 – £300 (not recommended)
Per Hour Pricing
Face Painter: £100 – £250
Balloon Twister: £100 – £250
Character Appearance: £60 – £150 (check reviews, there are many horror stories, from people hiring “chancers”)
It’s important to note that these are rough estimates and the actual cost may be higher or lower depending on the specific entertainer. It’s always a good idea to get quotes from several entertainers and compare their prices, but also their services (what do they offer, and are they professional), and don’t forget to look at reviews before making a final decision (have they done this before?)
I strongly believe the best way to get a feel for someone’s personality is to have a quick chat to them on the phone. Often that will save you hours of emailing round.
WHICH FACTORS AFFECT THE PRICE?
Asking how much does a children’s entertainer cost, is a bit like asking, how long is a piece of string? There are often more questions that come back. That’s not the entertainer being difficult to deal with, but rather without all the details, they simply can’t give you an accurate price.
I often get emails that simply say, “How much is it?” or “Prices please?” And I can’t give a price, because what if I say, it’s £295 and then the event is an outdoor show for 150 children, plus their parents, 2 hours drive away, on Christmas Eve? Then I have to come back to you and raise the price, which is uncomfortable for both of us. That’s an extreme example, but in short, the price given here is just a guide. It probably will fit most of the events I perform at, but not all of them.
To summarise, if you are enquiring with a magician / children’s entertainer, always make sure that you provide them with as much detail as possible including:
- Event date
- Event time
- Event venue (either the town, or the actual location) – not as some people write, “my house!”
- Age of children attending
- Number of children attending
Even if you don’t know the exact details, a guess is better than nothing.
SHOULD I HIRE A CHEAP CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINER?
In a word, no. I mention this right at the start, that the cheapest is not great value. Simply put, you get what you pay for, and if you don’t pay for it, you don’t get it. The cheapest entertainers cut corners, and it’s why I don’t price match against other entertainers.
It’s also why I think, you shouldn’t hire a party company. One of the corners they often cut is to outsource the work to general entertainers who are being paid a fraction of what you pay. Often they try to cram in so many parties that they hire anyone and teach them a very basic set of games and activities that you could probably run yourself.
I don’t know about you, but when I pay for a service, I expect an experienced professional. Unfortunately, you just can’t get that if you go for the cheapest. If you really can’t afford the rates given in this guide, then it might be better not having a professional party entertainer at all. And in fact, there are lots of guides online (even on this website) for how to run a fun party on a budget without an entertainer.
But if your event is important to you, maybe it’s a milestone birthday for your child, or a family fun day for the whole community, then you can find out more about me here, or get in touch on 07792 129 828 or send me a message here.