33-seat magic theater at Galleria Gwanggyo, Suwon: Magic & Joy

Magic & Joy Gwanggyo, with me, my husband, and our 6-year-old son.

Calling all parents who love a good show!! I didn't want to just plop the kid in front of a screen all weekend, so I went looking for something Sen might actually find interesting — and landed on exactly this: Mirinae Magic Theater's Magic & Joy Gwanggyo. It's inside the Galleria, so parking is a breeze, and on top of that we got a flawless performance from a skilled magician! Here's my review of a dreamlike, magical show that made imagination feel real.

Parking and ticket booking at Magic & Joy Gwanggyo

Magic & Joy Gwanggyo sits on the 10th floor of Galleria Department Store in Gwanggyo, on the same floor as CGV. Parking is in the department store lot, so it's roomy and easy. Once you park, just head up to the 10th floor — by elevator or escalator — and timing it well with a kid to keep the ride up from getting boring, we went up and...!!!!

Oh my goodness, the waiting area has such a well-done photo zone. I'd recommend arriving a bit early to take photos and look around.

You can even touch the magic props on display, and some are for sale too.

Doors open 10 minutes before showtime, but you can pick up tickets from 1 hour beforehand — and it's convenient to handle parking validation at CGV once you have your ticket, before the show starts. There's also a proper waiting area for parents.

Inside Magic & Joy Gwanggyo: 33 seats and the waiting area

The theater has 33 seats — folding chairs, but not as uncomfortable as you'd expect. The restroom is inside the CGV area.

You can also write a review as part of an event, and they gave us a pretty headband as a gift — so after the show, all the kids walk around sparkling in their headbands. Haha.

Watching a live show up close!!!! That was the best part. When we first walked in, I was like, huh?! The theater's this small?! But once the show started, I realized the small size makes for great rapport between performer and audience — a real plus.

There are baby chairs set up for young kids too. There's hardly a seat you wouldn't recommend, since the magician paid close attention to every part of the room. Still, if I had to pick, the very front row!!! You can enter from 10 minutes before showtime, but lines usually start forming 20 minutes early. I'd recommend lining up ahead of time to grab a good seat!

What the 1-hour magic show was like with a 6-year-old

Today it was all hands on deck — me, my husband, and our 6-year-old son Sen!

Card magic, ring magic, dove magic, and more — an endless string of tricks that steal the hearts and eyes of kids and adults alike over the full hour.

What I loved most was how skilled the magician was!! Our family loves going to see shows, so we've seen quite a few, but this was the first time we saw a front man lead a show this smoothly! He handled the basics — cards, rings, magic books — with real ease and cheeky confidence.

Balloon magic, fish, doves, and more eye-catching tricks were also included, making it an enjoyable show for adults and kids alike.

Our 6-year-old buddy's focus was at its peak!! When the magician said clap, he clapped, when he said shout, he shouted — listen to your mom like that sometimes, kid ^-^ hahahaha. And it wasn't just our Sen — kids who looked about 3 or 4 sitting around us, elementary schoolers, and even the parents were all completely absorbed, unable to hold back their reactions.

Why the participatory show held the children's attention

I also liked that it was a participatory show. With so many kids in the audience for a one-hour show, attention could easily wander, but he kept calling kids up in between to do magic, take photos, touch the dove, and tease them — completely captivating the kids!!! Not just the front row — kids in the back and on the sides who wanted a turn were pretty much all brought up on stage at some point.

Finally, he gave each kid a magic book, leaving our very satisfied little one thrilled ♥ Talk about a generous show.

After the show you get a photo time with the magician, and Sen got so excited he wanted to be the first one to take a photo — total mom moment of pride!

After the show, we went to visit the grandparents' house, and Sen turned into a little magician and put on his own magic show. It was a satisfying, satisfying, satisfying show all around. Lately I'd been a little worn out by shows that rely on flashy stage sets alone, so it was such a treat to enjoy a show built on genuinely solid fundamentals as a whole family — a very fulfilling day ♥