Ceilidh Band Hire

Book Scottish Ceilidh Bands & Folk Dance Musicians.

Find the perfect Scottish ceilidh band for hire at Alive Network. A ceilidh wedding band (or kayleigh / kaylee / caleigh band) performs a lively mix of Scottish dance & traditional Gaelic Irish & English folk music, often led by a caller to shout out the dance steps. No experience is necessary, it's highly sociable & enormous fun, making ceilidh bands a very popular choice for weddings, Burns Night entertainment & parties. Also see our acoustic bands.... Read more

Booking Guide

Everything you need to know to hire Ceilidh Bands for your event

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?"

Also see our traditional Irish and folk bands here.

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.

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.

Our artists perform for private events internationally and nation-wide, most frequently in:

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

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!

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Find more about Alive Network Entertainment Agency here

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.

1,072 Reviews For Our Ceilidh Bands

The Dancing Ceilidh Trio Ceilidh Band Review Private Party East Ayrshire

5 stars - The Dancing Ceilidh Trio are Highly Recommended

“The Dancing Ceilidh Trio played at my 60th birthday party. The night was great fun thanks to the music and direction from the band. Everyone had a great time and lots of folk complimenting the band. I would thoroughly recommend them for any party or wedding. They definitely made my night.”

Julie M booked The Dancing Ceilidh Trio for their event in East Ayrshire on 29th August 2025

Gypsy Rogues Ceilidh Band Review Wedding Derbyshire

5 stars - Gypsy Rogues are Highly Recommended

“The Gypsy Rogues were great, they made sure to read the room when doing the dances, we would have breaks in-between which allowed guests to take a breather. Sarah was great as the person who was telling us what to do if we got stuck with the dances. A Ceilidh is a brilliant way to add somethi...”

Rachel D booked Gypsy Rogues for their Wedding in Derbyshire on 17th August 2025

Gypsy Rogues Ceilidh Band Review Private Party Greater Manchester

5 stars - Gypsy Rogues are Highly Recommended

“Nice folk, very pleasant, and just "got on with it", they were exactly what I had wanted, I wasn't sure at 1st but then realised they were just tuning up. Of course we were busy greeting guests , but saw within a very short time the dance floor had folk already up, now to me that's a great band, ho...”

Diane L booked Gypsy Rogues for their event in Greater Manchester on 16th August 2025

Rakish Paddy Ceilidh Band Review Private Party

5 stars - Rakish Paddy are Highly Recommended

“You, and the band really made my party. Thank you so much for bringing such good vibes and great talent to the evening. It was a pleasure dealing with you from start to finish. All my guests commented on how good Rakish Paddy was - and I was particularly delighted to see how enthusiastically, and qu...”

Beth H booked Rakish Paddy for their event on 1st August 2025

185,378 Events Made Awesome So Far

Why book with us?

26 years providing you with the very best Ceilidh Bands for weddings, corporate events, and parties throughout the UK

Experience.

26 years experience and over 185,000 events booked to date, you couldn’t be in safer hands.

Quality.

We are not a directory, we hand pick every artist to ensure quality, reliability and value.

Trust.

With over 60,000 five star reviews, we’re the UK’s most trusted entertainment booking platform.

Security.

Safe secure bookings, 24/7 emergency cover, and personal support when ever you need it.

We Care.

That you find the perfect entertainment for your event, and that everything goes to plan.

Supporting Artists.

We help local artists reach a national audience of customers like you, supporting careers.

Photos by: Carrie Lavers Photography, Andrew Billington Photography

Registered offices: Ground Floor Suite, Silk Mill Studios, Princess Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1DD, United Kingdom

Some artists may appear with the kind co-operation and consent of their respective management companies.

This service is intended for personal use only and no part of the service may be displayed in public, broadcast or used for any business purpose without the consent of Alive Network. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our services and web content, we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided and we shall not be liable for any loss suffered thereby.

Book Scottish Ceilidh Bands & Folk Dance Musicians