diff --git a/bigframes/__init__.py b/bigframes/__init__.py
index 240608ebc2..f282e092e4 100644
--- a/bigframes/__init__.py
+++ b/bigframes/__init__.py
@@ -16,12 +16,24 @@
 
 from bigframes._config import option_context, options
 from bigframes._config.bigquery_options import BigQueryOptions
+from bigframes._magics import _cell_magic
 from bigframes.core.global_session import close_session, get_global_session
 import bigframes.enums as enums
 import bigframes.exceptions as exceptions
 from bigframes.session import connect, Session
 from bigframes.version import __version__
 
+_MAGIC_NAMES = ["bigquery_sql"]
+
+
+def load_ipython_extension(ipython):
+    """Called by IPython when this module is loaded as an IPython extension."""
+    for magic_name in _MAGIC_NAMES:
+        ipython.register_magic_function(
+            _cell_magic, magic_kind="cell", magic_name=magic_name
+        )
+
+
 __all__ = [
     "options",
     "BigQueryOptions",
diff --git a/bigframes/_magics.py b/bigframes/_magics.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33205e3a37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bigframes/_magics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from IPython.core import magic_arguments  # type: ignore
+from IPython.core.getipython import get_ipython
+from IPython.display import display
+
+import bigframes.pandas
+
+
+@magic_arguments.magic_arguments()
+@magic_arguments.argument(
+    "destination_var",
+    nargs="?",
+    help=("If provided, save the output to this variable instead of displaying it."),
+)
+@magic_arguments.argument(
+    "--dry_run",
+    action="store_true",
+    default=False,
+    help=(
+        "Sets query to be a dry run to estimate costs. "
+        "Defaults to executing the query instead of dry run if this argument is not used."
+        "Does not work with engine 'bigframes'. "
+    ),
+)
+def _cell_magic(line, cell):
+    ipython = get_ipython()
+    args = magic_arguments.parse_argstring(_cell_magic, line)
+    if not cell:
+        print("Query is missing.")
+        return
+    pyformat_args = ipython.user_ns
+    dataframe = bigframes.pandas._read_gbq_colab(
+        cell, pyformat_args=pyformat_args, dry_run=args.dry_run
+    )
+    if args.destination_var:
+        ipython.push({args.destination_var: dataframe})
+    else:
+        with bigframes.option_context(
+            "display.repr_mode",
+            "anywidget",
+        ):
+            display(dataframe)
+    return
diff --git a/bigframes/pandas/io/api.py b/bigframes/pandas/io/api.py
index 483bc5e530..b8ad6cbd0c 100644
--- a/bigframes/pandas/io/api.py
+++ b/bigframes/pandas/io/api.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 import pyarrow as pa
 
 import bigframes._config as config
+import bigframes._importing
 import bigframes.core.global_session as global_session
 import bigframes.core.indexes
 import bigframes.dataframe
@@ -356,8 +357,12 @@ def _read_gbq_colab(
             with warnings.catch_warnings():
                 # Don't warning about Polars in SQL cell.
                 # Related to b/437090788.
-                warnings.simplefilter("ignore", bigframes.exceptions.PreviewWarning)
-                config.options.bigquery.enable_polars_execution = True
+                try:
+                    bigframes._importing.import_polars()
+                    warnings.simplefilter("ignore", bigframes.exceptions.PreviewWarning)
+                    config.options.bigquery.enable_polars_execution = True
+                except ImportError:
+                    pass  # don't fail if polars isn't available
 
     return global_session.with_default_session(
         bigframes.session.Session._read_gbq_colab,
diff --git a/tests/system/small/test_magics.py b/tests/system/small/test_magics.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aed759e4ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/system/small/test_magics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from IPython.testing.globalipapp import get_ipython
+from IPython.utils.capture import capture_output
+import pandas as pd
+import pytest
+
+import bigframes
+import bigframes.pandas as bpd
+
+MAGIC_NAME = "bigquery_sql"
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def ip():
+    """Provides a persistent IPython shell instance for the test session."""
+    shell = get_ipython()
+    shell.extension_manager.load_extension("bigframes")
+    return shell
+
+
+def test_magic_select_lit_to_var(ip):
+    bigframes.close_session()
+
+    line = "dst_var"
+    cell_body = "SELECT 3"
+
+    ip.run_cell_magic(MAGIC_NAME, line, cell_body)
+
+    assert "dst_var" in ip.user_ns
+    result_df = ip.user_ns["dst_var"]
+    assert result_df.shape == (1, 1)
+    assert result_df.loc[0, 0] == 3
+
+
+def test_magic_select_lit_dry_run(ip):
+    bigframes.close_session()
+
+    line = "dst_var --dry_run"
+    cell_body = "SELECT 3"
+
+    ip.run_cell_magic(MAGIC_NAME, line, cell_body)
+
+    assert "dst_var" in ip.user_ns
+    result_df = ip.user_ns["dst_var"]
+    assert result_df.totalBytesProcessed == 0
+
+
+def test_magic_select_lit_display(ip):
+    bigframes.close_session()
+
+    cell_body = "SELECT 3"
+
+    with capture_output() as io:
+        ip.run_cell_magic(MAGIC_NAME, "", cell_body)
+        assert len(io.outputs) > 0
+        html_data = io.outputs[0].data["text/html"]
+        assert "[1 rows x 1 columns in total]" in html_data
+
+
+def test_magic_select_interpolate(ip):
+    bigframes.close_session()
+    df = bpd.read_pandas(
+        pd.DataFrame({"col_a": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6], "col_b": [1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2]})
+    )
+    const_val = 1
+
+    ip.push({"df": df, "const_val": const_val})
+
+    query = """
+    SELECT
+        SUM(col_a) AS total
+    FROM
+        {df}
+    WHERE col_b={const_val}
+    """
+
+    ip.run_cell_magic(MAGIC_NAME, "dst_var", query)
+
+    assert "dst_var" in ip.user_ns
+    result_df = ip.user_ns["dst_var"]
+    assert result_df.shape == (1, 1)
+    assert result_df.loc[0, 0] == 9