One of the most popular and easily recognizable magicians in the world will be visiting Ames in September.

Criss Angel will perform at Stephens Auditorium on Sept. 8. Tickets for the event start at $52 and go as high as $92 for prime seats. The event is part of Angel’s “Criss Angel RAW: The Mindfreak Unplugged” tour. It will feature Angel and company performing not just his most iconic magic tricks but also dabbling in mentalism and hand street magic. The show will commence at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale at noon Friday. 

The event is billed as a “raw” event, meaning that audiences will be up-close and personal with Angel as he performs his world-renowned tricks. The event will not be encumbered by flashy theatrics but will instead serve as an intimate experience for both audience and performer. 

“I had to get (someone) from NASA involved,” Angel said in a Newsday interview. “I performed it in Vegas first. I levitate, and fly. Magicians have done levitation with props in the dark but I do it in full, bright light. I’m flying, spinning, flipping. People in the business have no concept of how I do it. None.”

Angel has solidified himself as a legend in the magic and entertainment industry. Largely considered one of the greatest to ever do magic, Angel was named  “Magician of the Century” in 2010 by the International Magicians Society. Angel was named “Magician of the Decade” the previous year. Angel has also partnered with Cirque du Soleil and Luxor Las Vegas to produce his shows. 

Known for his mind-boggling illusions and dark aura, Angel has become a household name. His levitation illusion has become a thing of legend and garnered him widespread notoriety during the 2000’s. Angel also won over audiences with his famous 2002 stunt involving a water tank. Angel, using 16 oxygen tanks, shackled himself inside of a phone-booth sized container completely submerged in water and stayed there without a break for 24 hours.

The stunt happened in Times Square, drew a massive crowd and resulted in Angel being hospitalized from overheating, severe dehydration and jaw-fatigue from holding an oxygen tube for 24 hours. 

Angel’s popularity skyrocketed with the release of his own cable show, “Criss Angel Mindfreak,” which aired from 2005 until 2010. Angel served as the creator, director, star and producer of the show. The third season became A&E’s most-watched show, with over 1.5 million weekly viewers. 

Tickets for the event will be available through Ticketmaster.com, over the phone or through the Iowa State Center Ticket Office.