A close up magic show about the illusions we live inside.Every weekend in the East Village. Only 20 seats.
As seen on Penn & Teller: Fool Us
"What an amazing trick… every moment was just beautiful."Penn & Teller: Fool Us
"The grungy East Village basement where Hayden Childress performs with VHS tapes and polaroids."Bloomberg
"Brooklyn's own Hayden Childress blends magic, mind-reading, and immersive storytelling into Urban Illusions — an underground sensation quietly rewriting the rules of live entertainment in New York City."Tape Selects
"Among the most original you'll see in a magic show. Magicians are bound to be fooled; I was."Genii Magazine
Every weekend 20 strangers gather in a basement in New York's East Village wondering "what did I just buy tickets to?". A dark room, free black coffee, haze, VHS tapes, unreliable memories, and a performance many audiences describe as "I can't comprehend what happened… it was right in front of me!"
Hayden Childress combines sleight of hand magic with conceptual performance art that feels cinematic, original, and impossible. 20 seats, honest lies, magic tricks. Tickets start at $95. Every weekend in lower Manhattan.
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East Village, New York City.
This underground space seats 20 guests. Black walls. TV static.
"I built everything from hand – the shelves are crooked, the artwork is hand painted. The props are both garbage and sacred. You're not stepping into a classic magic theater. You're entering a dream." —Hayden
95 E 7th Street, BSMT, New York, NY 10009
Hayden Childress grew up in North Carolina doing magic at a fish camp restaurant at 13. His teenage years were split between mastering sleight of hand technique and engaging with alternative art, music, and movies. He was drawn not just to deception but to distortion — the surreal, the broken, the off-kilter.
He composes all the music for the show, paints the artwork on the walls, and built the shelves himself.
He's appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, performed privately for Google, and done close-up magic at the Super Bowl.
His real obsession is Urban Illusions.
Reality is what you perceive.
Are you the deceiver?
Or are you the deceived?
Fridays at 8pm, and Saturdays at 7pm and 9:30pm, in the East Village. Tickets from $95.
It's just the perfect size! Magic is incredible in a small room with a small crowd. It's great.
We sell bottled water at the door. And… free black coffee. We're also BYOB — keep it chill.
Recommended for ages 18+.
Usually 85 minutes, no intermission. Stay present!
We experience illusions and deception all the time. It's dishonest deception. A magic trick is honest deception. The magician says it's a trick, and then he tricks you. Now that's fun!
Yes, case by case. But we're selective. Tell us about your group — info@urbanillusionsnyc.com
All ticket sales are final. Please make sure you're buying for the correct date and time.