How to Hire Bands for Charity Events (2025)
In this blog post, we'll provide comprehensive information about hiring live music for charity events, including frequently asked questions and some examples of professional cover bands who regularly perform for charity.
Any event is enhanced by live music – be it background music to create a relaxed ambience or upbeat music to get your guests onto the dance floor.
Charity events, in particular, benefit from live music to lift the atmosphere and contribute to making your event a success.
Can I afford live music for my charity event?
Whether you are organising an event for a large, multinational charity or a smaller, local charity, we all know that budgets on such occasions can be tight, especially when there is so much to be arranged, from the venue, catering and entertainment to marketing and spreading the word about your event.
It is important to note that most professional musicians, in general, rarely perform for free due to the costs involved in travelling to events, and the lost revenue which they could be earning at a paid gig (especially if your event is on a Saturday during the summer months).
What should you budget in 2025?
A four-piece charity-event band in the UK now averages £1,500 – £1,850 for 2 x 60-minute party sets (roughly £375 – £460 per musician). Five-piece line-ups typically start around £1,950 and can reach £2,300 once travel and a dedicated sound engineer are factored in. Mid-week or winter bookings usually shave 10–15 % off these figures.
Musicians on FixTheMusic have public liability insurance and PAT tested equipment.
They also have several other costs to consider, such as public liability insurance, PAT testing of equipment, maintenance of equipment and their own marketing costs, such as a website.
Some professional musicians can offer a discount for charity events, and this could be anywhere from a 10% discount to a 50% discount.
However, what is often the case is that charities will arrange venue hire, catering etc before they decide on the entertainment for the evening. This means that budgets can be stretched very thin when it comes to hiring a band or musician.
In general, venues are often able to offer only a 10% discount for charity events, but many will be able to offer no discount at all, especially in central London on peak dates.
💡 Top Tip: Host your event mid-week, not on a Friday or Saturday night
It's always a good idea to consider hosting your charity event mid-week, e.g. on a Monday night. You'll have a much bigger selection of bands, DJs and musicians to choose from and most will be happy to offer a heavily discounted fee for weeknight events when compared to Friday or Saturday evenings.
Creative ways to maximise your music budget
We understand that every penny counts when organising a charity event. The good news is that there are smart ways to make your entertainment budget work harder without compromising on atmosphere or quality.
One option is to book a smaller line-up earlier in the evening, such as an acoustic duo or trio, then bring in the full band for the headline set later on. This keeps the energy building throughout the night while reducing overall costs.
Another approach is to choose roaming or semi-acoustic sets instead of a fully amplified stage show. These require less equipment and setup time, which often means lower fees.
Some organisers also partner with sponsors who are happy to cover part (or all) of the entertainment cost in exchange for brand exposure during the event.
Finally, it’s worth checking whether your venue has preferred-rate deals with trusted bands or DJs. Many venues work regularly with musicians and can help secure more competitive pricing.
A little flexibility with the format of your live music can go a long way!
At FixTheMusic, we believe that charity event organisers should not ask for a greater discount from musicians than they have received from other suppliers for their event.
For example, if the venue hire company and caterers have agreed to offer a 20% discount, you should ask for no more than a 20% discount from musicians.
This is the fairest way to engage the services of musicians for charity events, and it means that musicians, who are in general not very well paid, are not subsidising other suppliers, such as the venue hire or catering.
Live music at charity events can really add to the atmosphere of the event, whether it be a covers band entertaining at a charity ball or gala, a harpist playing at an outdoor fundraising event or even something alternative like an oompah band or a top-quality tribute act playing at a charity sports event.
Most musicians will be able to provide their services at a discount for charity events. In general, musicians are more than happy to be a part of philanthropic causes, and many even spend time busking for charities, especially over the Christmas period.
At FixTheMusic, we’re proud to have worked with the Pituitary Foundation — a UK charity that provides information and support to those suffering from pituitary disorders, their relatives, friends and carers — after they approached us to help them find a harpist for their Masquerade Ball at London’s Mayfair Hotel.
Our system was able to provide quotes from a range of harpists, and they booked an outstanding young harpist who is currently studying at the prestigious Royal College of Music. She was able to offer a reduced rate for this event, which was important for the charity.
Case-Study: London Air Ambulance Gala (April 2025)
About the charity
London Air Ambulance delivers advanced trauma teams by helicopter and rapid-response car to seriously injured patients across all 32 London boroughs.
The brief
For the charity’s flagship Gala, the organisers hired Roaming Beats, our four-piece roaming band, on a reduced charity fee of £1,500.
On the night
- Four background music sets while VIP guests were meeting some of the charity's volunteers.
- Spontaneous table-serenades encouraged generous pledges during the pledge-drive segment.
The evening closed with a record-breaking £1.3 million raised, far surpassing the previous year’s total.
Results & feedback
- 96% of guests rated the entertainment "excellent" in the post-event survey.
- Sarah Vinall, Special Events Manager, London Air Ambulance:
"Roaming Beats were the heartbeat of our gala. Their roaming sets lifted the atmosphere instantly. We won’t hesitate to book them again."
We really hope you enjoy using FixTheMusic. If you have any feedback for us, please get in touch. Otherwise, read more about FixTheMusic, browse our FAQs or read our blog to find helpful articles, research, insights, definitive guides and much more!
Check out our Instagram 📸 for videos and photos of our best party bands performing at real charity events, weddings and parties.
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More recently another of our professional harpists was booked for a gala fundraising event at the Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Norwich, in aid of Girl Child Network Worldwide, a charity that empowers and educates girls in Africa.
At FixTheMusic, we welcome enquiries from charities and nonprofit organisations, as do our bands and musicians. The best way to receive quotes from our curated selection of musicians for your charity event is to submit an enquiry.
We help thousands of charities arrange live music for events every year. Submit an enquiry to receive offers directly from our carefully curated selection of professional musicians – it’s free to use.
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2025 charity-event entertainment trends
As fundraising galas evolve to meet the expectations of modern donors, live entertainment is playing a more strategic role than ever. In 2025, it's not just about filling a dance floor. It's about creating moments that energise bidding, encourage content sharing and leave guests talking long after the event ends.
Here are three entertainment trends we're seeing take centre stage at charity events across the UK this year:
Roaming “auction-bumper” sets
Short, high-energy bursts of live music delivered by a roaming band between lots stop the room from drifting into conversation, refocus attention on the stage and, most importantly, fend off "bidder fatigue." The strolling-musician format is now recommended in many gala playbooks because it keeps donors on their feet (literally) and ready to raise a paddle.
TikTok-ready mash-ups
Twenty-second hook-after-hook medleys give guests irresistible moments to film and post as Reels or TikToks, putting your charity’s hashtag in front of thousands of new eyeballs the next morning. In 2025, fund-raising consultants explicitly tell organisers to match the fast-cut, mobile-first experience today’s donors expect from platforms like TikTok, so building a mash-up into the set list is low-hanging fruit.
Era-themed live sets (think ‘70s disco or ‘80s pop)
Pairing the band’s repertoire (and the room's décor) with a nostalgic decade consistently boosts ticket demand and encourages fancy-dress participation. Guests arrive already primed to dance; the theme also makes sponsor backdrops and social posts far more shareable. Decade parties are listed among the top trending event ideas for 2025, and they translate perfectly to charity galas.
