Ceilidh Bands Brighton19 Local Ceilidh Bands To Hire For Events In Brighton
19 Local Ceilidh Bands To Hire For Events In Brighton.
Find the best local Ceilidh Bands in Brighton, perfect for corporate events, weddings and parties, only at Alive Network, the UK's biggest entertainment agency.
See who's available:
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Vivacious
5 stars - Vivacious are Highly Recommended 5 Reviews
Number of members: 3 HighlandIntroducing Scotland's premier Ceilidh band, Vivacious! Their dynamic fusion of traditional folk and contemporary flair will ignite any event, from weddings to corporate galas. With roots in the Highlands and Ireland, they redefine musical boundaries, ensuring a night of non-stop dancing and unforgettable memories. Based in Inverness, they're ready to take your event to the next level, captivating audiences worldwide with over 300 performances annually....
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178,237 Events Made Awesome So Far
5 stars - Scatter The Mud are Highly Recommended
“The band were great in the lead up to our wedding with clear communication, and helpfully outlining their requirements. On the day of our wedding the timings went a bit all over the place, but the band were incredibly helpful and flexible to fit in to our day, rather than needing to stick rigidly to...”
Andrew D booked Scatter The Mud for their Wedding in East Sussex
5 stars - Rakish Paddy are Highly Recommended
“I would like to thank you for the fantastic performance at our event last Saturday. Every guest absolutely loved Rakish Paddy. They have been doing events at the Owl for the 12 years I have lived there, and they told me this was the best band they have ever had. Really, a top class gig, which is gre...”
Mike O booked Rakish Paddy for their event in East Sussex
5 stars - Rakish Paddy are Highly Recommended
“We booked rakish paddy for our wedding fairly last minute. We decided we wanted to have a ceilidh band quite late and there were not too many available, so we picked these guys. No regrets, I think we were very lucky to get such a good group! Ruth got in touch early and talked to us a few times i...”
Jack R booked Rakish Paddy for their Wedding in East Sussex
Amazing Venues
Just a few of the amazing venues we've worked with in Brighton
- Alias Hotel
- Dyke Golf Club BN1 8YJ
- Grand Central BN1 3PA
- Thistle Hotel BN1 2GS
- Ohso Social Beach Bar + Restaurant BN1 1NB
- Fabrica BN1 1AG
- Malmaison Brighton BN2 5WA
- H&M BN1 2BG
- Isaac At BN1 4EW
- American Express Community Stadium BN1 9BL
- Stanmer House
- Brighton Dome BN1 1UE
- Saltdean Lido BN2 8SP
- Hotel Du Vin BN1 1AD
- Seattle Hotel BN2 5WA
- Trading Post Coffee Roasters BN1 1AB
- The Hilton Metropole BN1 2FU
- Malmaison BN2 5WA
- The Seahorse BN1 2LN
- The Old Ship Hotel BN1 1NR
- Revolution Bar Brighton BN1 2RA
- The Greene Room, Brighton BN1 1ND
- The Grand Hotel Brighton BN1 2FW
- Brighton Music Hall BN1 2FN
- Queens Hotel Brighton BN1 1NS
- The Walrus BN1 1AD
- Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront BN1 2GS
- Brighton, a Wyevale Garden Centre BN2 9XX
- Lansdowne Place Hotel BN3 1HQ
- Hollingbury Park Golf Course BN1 7HS
- Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel BN1 2PP
- sdv sdv
- Alfresco BN1 2LN
- Patterns - Brighton BN2 1TL
- Rialto Theatre BN1 3FE
- Pangdean Old Barn BN45 7FJ
- PRYZM BN1 2RE
- British Airways i360 BN1 2LN
- Southwick Community Association BN42 4TE
- St Margarets Church BN2 7HA
- East Brighton Golf Club BN2 5RA
- Brighton Harbour Hotel & Spa BN1 1NA
Booking Guide
Everything you need to know to hire Ceilidh Bands for your event
What are Ceilidh Bands?
Ceilidh bands (sometimes also misspelt as caleigh, kaylee or kayleigh band) perform the cheery melodies of Scottish and Irish (ceili) Gaelic folk music, guaranteed to make your feet tap and get everyone up dancing!
Consisting of small groups of musicians or large ensembles, they always feature a range of instruments, such as fiddles, accordions, pipes, guitar, piano, and drums, and can be amplified or acoustic.
Traditionally, they include a ‘caller’ to teach or remind your guests of the dance routines, calling out reminders as each song progresses, ensuring you keep up with each move for the various dances.
From slow waltzes to a stomping, fast-paced ‘strip the willow’, a ceilidh is the best fun you can have in an evening’s entertainment, as well as a fantastic workout!
Read more .... "What is a ceilidh band and what do they do?"
What music will they play?
They usually perform a range of jaunty, lively and uplifting traditional Scottish dance music, Irish ceili & traditional English folk music music, intermingled with slower waltzes (allowing you to catch your breath a bit!). They’re likely to play any of a range of traditional tunes, including:
- Boston Two-Step
- Broon’s Reel
- Canadian Barn Dance
- Circassian Circle
- Dashing White Sergeant
- Eightsome Reel
- Eva Three-Step
- Gay Gordons
- Haymakers Jig
- Highland Schottische
- Hullighan’s Jig
- Military Two-Step
- Polka Medley
- Pride of Erin Waltz
- Scottish Waltz
- Siege of Ennis
- St Bernard’s Waltz
- Strip the Willow
- Swedish Masquerade
- The Bluebell Polka
- The Flying Scotsman
- The Stack of Barley
- The Walls of Limerick
The repertoire for each of our bands is listed on their profile page.
Popular types of band
1. Scottish and Irish Bands
Formed of anything from 2 to 8 and more members, Scottish and Irish bands incorporate a variety of traditional instruments, usually acoustic. The music they play will range from slow waltzes to fast polkas and everything in-between. They often feature a ‘caller’ who will help get your guests through each dance with lots of gusto.
2. Ceilidh-Pop Crossover Bands (or Ceilidh–Traditional–Rock Crossover Bands)
Again, with any number of members and occasionally performing with a ‘caller’, there are several bands who perform crossover music – playing traditional Celtic ceilidh music and also offering a range of classic and contemporary rock and pop in a ceilidh style, giving your party a brilliant, fun twist. Rock and pop music covered will include tunes from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, The Beatles, and The Proclaimers. Many of these bands will also offer a range of other Celtic music, such as Whisky In The Jar, Flower o’ Scotland and Auld Lang Syne.
Where in the UK do Alive's bands perform?
Our artists perform for private events internationally and nation-wide, most frequently in:
Most popular counties:
- Essex
- Hampshire
- Hertfordshire
- West Midlands
- Oxfordshire
- Surrey
- Kent
- Berkshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Gloucestershire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Lancashire
- Greater Manchester
- East Sussex
- Devon
- Cornwall
- Northamptonshire
- Somerset
- Wiltshire
- Cumbria
- Herefordshire
- Monmouth
- North Yorkshire
- Merseyside
- Worcestershire
- West Sussex
Most popular cities:
- Aberdeen
- Bath
- Birmingham
- Bradford
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Canterbury
- Cardiff
- Chelmsford
- Chester
- Coventry
- Derby
- Durham
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Gloucester
- Hereford
- Hull
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Portsmouth
- Salford
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Stoke-On-Trent
- Sunderland
- Swansea
- Wakefield
- Westminster
- Wolverhampton
- Worcester
- York
Is a Ceilidh suitable for my event?
A ceilidh is usually the main evening entertainment at events, offering an engaging and fantastically fun night. They’re perfect for occasions such as:
- Wedding celebrations
- Corporate events
- Private parties
- New Year/Hogmanay festivities
- Burns Night Parties
- Bar Mitzvas and Bat Mitzvas
- Charity fundraiser events
- Black Tie events
- Gala Balls
- Festivals
- Fêtes and street parties
- Pubs / clubs / venues
- HM Armed Forces Events
- University events
If you’re planning a wedding, a live band can provide lively entertainment for the evening reception, and can start the party by performing for the bride and groom’s first dance, before all the guests take to the floor. Often bands can welcome or ‘pipe in’ the happy couple, to their wedding breakfast, if required too.
Ceilidhs are a common way to celebrate any occasion, and an excellent choice for a Hogmanay celebration, a private or corporate Burn’s supper or a Saint Patrick’s Day party where a big, lively event is called for.
At events where people are meeting each other for the first time, such as weddings and mixers, ceilidhs are fantastic ice breakers. They can include large or small groups of people and each dance is cyclical and very easy to pick up, so your guests can get into the swing and enjoy themselves within a few short bars.
If you want everyone on the dancefloor and to feel involved at your event, then a ceilidh – no matter how big or small – will really get you and your guests moving.
Space considerations at your event
The amount of space needed for your band will depend on the line-up you choose. It goes without saying that a ceilidh duo will need far less space than a 5-piece or an 8-piece band. If you’re limited for space at your venue, you can add or remove musicians from most bands in the Alive Network stable.
Of course, you will need plenty of room to swing your partner around on the dancefloor! A ceilidh can take place in a local village hall or a grand ballroom, depending on the number of guests who will be burling around, but it’s certainly wise to allow plenty of space for the dancing, fun and frivolities that a ceilidh will unleash!
For approximate requirements, see ‘How much space will a ceilidh band need?’, below.
Volume considerations - How loud are they?
The line-up of your chosen band, whether they play acoustically or with amplification, and the acoustics of your venue will impact the band’s volume at your event. A ceilidh – and the whooping of your guests! – can be loud and lively, somewhere in the region of 80–110 dB, so if you have your heart set on a ceilidh, do bear this in mind when you’re looking at venues. Some venues will be constrained by volume restrictions and sound limiters, so we recommend you ask your venue about their setup. For more information on sound limiters, visit our guide to sound limiters here
How much do they cost?
This table outlines the general prices of Alive Network's ceilidh bands:
Type of Artist | Cost Range |
---|---|
Ceilidh Duos | £300 - £1,065 |
3-piece bands | £666 - £1,330 |
4-piece bands | £540 - £1,920 |
5-piece bands and larger | £790 - £1,265 |
Adding or removing instrumentalists from your band will have implications on cost. You can reduce costs further by choosing a band who are based close to your chosen venue, since their travel costs will be minimised. The location of each band is shown on their profile pages, and your Entertainment Coordinator can help by recommending a range of fantastic ceilidh musicians near your venue. You don’t need to limit yourself to local bands, however – your perfect ceilidh wedding band may be willing to travel at minimal cost!
Who are the top 10 Ceilidh artists in the UK right now?
This list is made up of our most entertaining UK-based bands that we recommend, based on a mixture of their popularity, high performance quality and originality:
How long will they play for?
Ceilidh groups normally perform two 60-minute sets, with many offering three 40-minute sets, or the option to play for longer. Generally, two sets work best but the band can advise on what format keeps the atmosphere lively and the dancefloor full.
Some bands also offer the option to finish after midnight, if your event calls for it.
How much space will they need?
This table gives an approximate guide to how much performance space various format bands will need:
Type of Band | Average Performance Space Required |
---|---|
Duos | 3 × 2 metres |
3-piece band | 3 × 3 metres |
4-piece band | 4 × 3 metres |
5- and 6-piece band | 5 × 3 metres |
7-piece band and larger | 5/6 × 4 metres |
These rough measurements will vary, depending on the number of musicians and the type of instruments in the band you select. Your Entertainment Coordinator can discuss the options with you further.
How long will it take for the band to set up?
Providing they can park close to your venue’s performance area, it can take around 60 – 90 minutes for a band to unload, set up and perform a vital sound check.
Following the ceilidh, the band usually takes around 30 – 60 minutes to pack away and load out.
What equipment will they need?
Wedding Ceilidh bands usually need the following:
- parking provision, with easy access to the venue
- refreshments – soft drinks and hot food, depending how long you’ve booked them for
- good lighting – particularly if they’re playing in a marquee
- a dedicated, suitably-sized, safe, dry, and flat performance area
- if they’ve agreed to perform outside, your musicians will need shelter from the sun, wind and rain!
- a sturdy, armless chair for each musician
- a minimum of four 13 amp power sockets, depending on the line-up and whether they’re fully amplified or acoustic
- a secure, lockable changing room
Most of Alive Network’s bands can provide their own microphones, and PA sound system or amplifiers.
If your event will have 200+ guests, you may need to hire a separate PA sound system. Your dedicated Entertainment Coordinator can discuss the requirements for your short-listed bands.
Safe, Secure Ceilidh Band Hire Backed By 24/7 Cover!
Aside from finding some of the best Ceilidh Bands in the UK and getting expert advice from our friendly staff, one of the main reasons to hire a Ceilidh Band from Alive Network Entertainment Agency is security. We ensure your booking is covered 24/7 against any eventuality, so that no matter what, you can enjoy your event without worrying about whether your entertainment will turn up. If your Ceilidh Band is ill or unable to perform, our team will be on hand to source a suitable replacement even out of office hours and at short notice. Imagine having to do that yourself!?
- Outstanding five-star customer service
- Emergency cover 24/7, 365 days a year
- Hand-picked Ceilidh Bands for the ultimate in quality and reliability
- Safe, secure booking contracts for your peace of mind
- Easy enquiry and booking process
- Hundreds of Ceilidh Bands, Scottish Folk Bands & Scottish Dance Music to choose from
- Trusted brand with over 110,000 previous clients & high-profile industry partnerships
- Instant online Ceilidh Band prices & availability
Established in 1999, Alive Network has grown to become the UK's largest live entertainment agency and one of the leading online entertainment booking services in the world. We specialise in wedding entertainment, party entertainment and corporate entertainment, trusted by companies like Apple, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, Coca-Cola & Nike, and we have helped over 110,000 customers to hire the perfect live entertainment for their events. We are formally partnered with BIMM, the largest and leading provider of contemporary music education in the UK and Europe, ensuring that we are able to bring you the very best new talent exclusively at Alive Network.
Frequently asked questions
For information on the following, see our Frequently Asked Questions:
For a more comprehensive ceilidh band booking guide please read ‘Booking a ceilidh – Everything you’ll ever need to know’.
If you have any other queries, simply visit our FAQ page.
Alternatively, our dedicated expert entertainment coordinators are on-hand to help. Simply call 0845 108 5500 or email enquiries@alivenetwork.com.
Why Choose Alive?
25 years providing you with the very best Ceilidh Bands in Brighton
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The Leading Ceilidh Band Agency In Brighton
Looking for Ceilidh Bands in Brighton? Alive Network will help you hire the best local Brighton Ceilidh Band, with acts available in Battle, Bexhill, Brighton, Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Hastings, Heathfield, Hove, Lewes, Newhaven, Rye, Seaford, Uckfield
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Check out a small selection of the clients we've impressed with our hand-picked rosters of amazing artists!
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