How To Hire A Band For New Year's Eve

You should aim to book your band at least 6 months before the event. Our most in-demand bands will be booked a year or more in advance, but many will still have availability until around July or August. NYE is the busiest night of the year for our live bands and singers so it’s best to book early to avoid disappointment.

Most function bands charge roughly double their normal fee for a new year’s event. The average price for a covers band from last year’s events was £4,845. Bear in mind that they are working on a night when most people choose to celebrate with friends and family, so the prices they charge will reflect this.

If hiring a full band for your New Year's party is beyond your budget, you could book a DJ, solo musician or duo for the entertainment for your New Year’s party instead. A singer-guitarist is a popular choice, especially ones who use live looping, as this can create a full sound that is still suitable for encouraging guests to dance.

Our ceilidh bands are in particularly high demand for NYE. Many are booked every year on FixTheMusic for Hogmanay celebrations throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK, as well as in the Middle East. Top tip: Add a couple of highland dancers to your ceilidh band for that extra special touch! We’ve also noticed many enquiries for DJ, sax & drums groups. They provide an energetic alternative to the usual function band and are guaranteed to keep your guests dancing through the night.

Absolutely! We receive numerous enquiries each year for NYE weddings. It’s an increasingly popular date for weddings and all of our bands have experience of this. You’ll probably want to hire the band until 1am so they cover the big countdown to midnight and then can play a final set before your guests head home. You should expect to pay more to hire your band when compared to booking them for a regular weekend earlier in the year.

Most bands are happy to tailor their clothing and set lists to suit a themed event. You might also want to hire a particular type of band to match your theme. For example, our vintage jazz bands are especially popular at Great Gatsby and 1920s themed events where they also play modern covers in a jazz & swing style. 1990s & old school throwback parties are also popular themes, as well as 80s tribute bands for a retro vibe. FixTheMusic has a range of bands that cover artists including Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and Craig David.

The majority of the events that our cover bands perform at for New Year's Eve are in London, Essex and the south east of the UK (Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire). We also provide bands for parties in Liverpool, Manchester, Scotland, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Bath, Brighton, Cardiff, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge... and many other towns and cities in the UK and beyond!).

Most bands will arrive well before guests to set up and soundcheck, then play two live sets with a short break. Many clients ask the band to cover the midnight countdown, then launch straight into a celebratory number and a final set after midnight so the dance floor stays full into the early hours. You can continue the party with a DJ if you want to go on later than 1am.

A clear performance area, safe power supplies close to the stage and a straightforward load‑in are essential. It also helps to provide parking details, a changing room and confirmation of any venue curfews or sound limiters so the band can tailor their setup and volume accordingly. Share any theme or dress code, and confirm access times with your venue so the band can arrive, set up and be ready well before guests.

Most NYE performances finish between 12:30am and 1:30am, depending on your venue’s curfew and what’s agreed in the contract. If you want the party to continue later, many bands can offer a DJ service or charge an agreed overtime fee.

Most bands build the countdown into their set. Around 11:59pm they’ll bring everyone together, lead the countdown, then launch into a big party track or ‘Auld Lang Syne’ just after midnight. You can also request a custom track for the big moment.

Yes. Bands often work with AV teams or the venue to sync the countdown with fireworks, sparklers or confetti cannons. Just share your running order and any cue points ahead of time.

Yes. Many New Year’s Eve bands offer a DJ or playlist service between live sets and after the performance to keep the energy high into the early hours.

Absolutely. Most bands accept a few advance requests. You can share a must-play and do-not-play list to make sure the set fits your party perfectly.

Yes, often they do. Standard NYE bookings typically run until around 1am. If your event goes later, most bands will offer overtime at a pre-agreed hourly rate.

Because New Year’s Eve is the busiest night of the year, deposits are often higher, typically around 50% to secure the date. The balance is usually due 45 days before the event and then held securely by FixTheMusic until after the event.

For late finishes outside major cities, many bands include overnight accommodation in their quote or ask clients to provide it. This ensures safe travel after the event.

Ideally by early December. This gives the band time to coordinate travel, set times, tech setup and any special countdown requests like confetti or fireworks.