As the world gears up to watch the 2012 Olympics in London, which celebrates its opening ceremony on July 27th, thousands of magicians from around the world gathered last weekend in Blackpool, England, just 240 miles North West of London, for the World Championship of Magic.
FISM, which stands for Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, was created in 1948 and today consists of more than 80 magic societies, both national and international, as well as national Federations which represent over 50,000 magicians from some 50 countries.
In September 2012 FISM will celebrate its 65th birthday and this month’s FISM in Blackpool represented its 25th World Championship, which takes place every three years at sites selected all over the world.
The first FISM World Championships of Magic were held in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1948. Since that time FISM has been organizing World Championships of Magic on a grand scale every three years since 1952. The 2009 championship took place in Beijing, China.
With many of the world top prestidigitators on hand for lectures, workshops, shows, and of course the competition, the six day event is considered the most premiere and prestigious gathering of magicians in the world.
In the spirit of magic that we embrace here at What Weekly, please enjoy these videos of some of the winners of FISM 2012!
FISM 2012 Winners
Grand Prix stage – Yu Ho Jin:
Grand Prix close up – Yann Frisch:
1st Place – General magic – Marko Karvo – Finland:
1st place illusions – Marcel Prince of illusions – Netherlands:
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