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Most popular ceilidh and covers bands in London
About Our Carefully Curated Selection of Ceilidh and Cover Bands Available for Hire in London
London has an array of outstanding professional wedding ceilidh and pop bands to choose from. Our ceilidh & covers bands on FixTheMusic have performed at weddings in London for several high-profile individuals, including the Royal Family.
Our local ceilidh cover bands are selected by invitation only, and all are highly recommended by previous clients based on several factors, including quality, professionalism, punctuality and the ability to get wedding guests dancing!
The modern ceilidh and covers bands specialise in providing traditional Scottish and Irish music, as well as music for barn dances and modern, upbeat pop covers by artists such as Bruno Mars and Avicii. They often perform a set of ceilidh music earlier in the evening to get your guests dancing, which is then followed by another set of pop covers to keep the party going late into the night…
Many of the bands on FixTheMusic specialise in providing traditional ceilidh music only and tend not to perform pop covers as well. It’s best to ask when you submit your enquiry.
Outstanding professional musicians
Members of our ceilidh and pop band groups have studied at some of the most renowned music colleges in the UK, including the Royal Academy of Music.
Our bands have performed at ceilidhs and barn dances for weddings at notable venues in London and the south east of England, including the Ritz Hotel, the Dorchester Hotel and the Gherkin.
Ceilidh bands on FixTheMusic have public liability insurance and PAT tested equipment.
You can submit an enquiry to receive offers directly from our hand-picked professional wedding ceilidh cover bands in London. FixTheMusic is not an agency – you are always in direct contact with bands via our messaging system. When you've made your choice, you can book and pay securely on FixTheMusic.
View Some of Our UK Ceilidh and Covers Bands Performing Live...
Reviews from local events in Greater London
“Tl;dr BOOK CEILIDH TWIST! I cannot say enough good things about Ceilidh Twist. They were absolutely fantastic in both the planning and performance at our wedding. Great communication in advance. The performance was SO good. Most of our guests (there were a lot!) were not ceilidh experienced and Ali the caller did an amazing job getting them all joining in and properly flinging - having recently had lessons, it was astonishing how quickly she got novices following the steps. We had so much fun and I had so much positive feedback from the guests. We did 2 x called sets and 1 x covers, which was a brilliant mix and went down so so well. We had the most fun. Thank you SO much to all at Ceilidh Twist! We love you!”
“We hired the band for our London wedding, where the majority of guests were English! We (and the beginners!) really appreciated the clarity of steps, and found the caller really engaging. We didn't get through as many dances as you might at a ceilidh in the north of Scotland, but that was to the benefit of the guests at our event! Worth noting also that we were really grateful for the gender neutrality of the instructions when it came to paired dancing - something we'd not heard before, but an important modernisation to be inclusive of all. Thank you, Willow Ceilidh Band!”
“We were looking for ceilidh for my daughter's 21st birthday party as we have been to two Ceilidh parties and enjoyed the music and dancing immensely! It was very easy and seamless to book through Fixthemusic. Paragon Ceilidh Band was very good right from start to finish! The communication was excellent prior and during the event. Simon was there early setting up to ensure everything ran smoothly. Danica who was the singer and the caller did an extremely good job in keeping the music and dance interesting. Everyone appreciated her. Thank you Paragon for making the evening memorable!”
“We had such an amazing evening with Paragon! From the start (hiring them) they communicated well and were keen to listen to what we wanted but always great with their suggestions. We danced the night away and all our guests seemed to love it! So many people said it was the best ceilidh they had been to. Huge thanks to Simon, Matt and Deneeka -dream team.”
Booked Paragon Ceilidh Band for a ceilidh at St Barnabas Parish Hall, London, UK
“We've had so many compliments about how great you were at our party at the Caledonian Club. You kept the dancing going and changed from Ceilidh to covers seemlessly through out the night. Everyone said they had such great fun and only wished it could have gone on longer. 5 stars from us!”
Booked Paragon Ceilidh Band for a 70th birthday party at Caledonian Club, London, UK
“We booked a band for our 40th wedding anniversary and it was a tremendous evening. Fantastic ceilidh band. Caller was excellent as was the music. So much dancing and fun. I would highly recommend them.”
“Hi, I just wanted to say a huge thank you on behalf of Tom and me for such an amazing evening wedding reception. The dance floor was never empty and all the guests commented on how great the band was. The ceilidh was enjoyed by all, those who have done many and those who have never. The instructions were so clear, the dances ran smoothly and everyone joined in. From the first to the last dance the evening was unforgettable. Once again thank you so much! Sarah & Tom.”
Booked Paragon Ceilidh Band for a wedding at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, UK
“Dear Lilac, Thank you I have recovered, just two more parties to go, I have allowed for a couple of days between each I’m so pleased the band enjoyed the day as well. Your team did a lot to help make that great atmosphere. I have had a lot of thank you messages from guests; “good food, good company, great ceilidh”, “the ceilidh band were excellent”. Just two of the many complements. Isabel, my wife, and myself were delighted with your playing. For me you helped make the perfect party.”
“I wanted to reach out and express my heartfelt thanks for your amazing performance at our wedding this past weekend. You were absolutely phenomenal! So many of our guests have been raving about how incredible you were. The perfect balance you struck between ceilidh and regular music kept everyone on their feet all night long. That giant conga line was a personal highlight for me - I don't think I'll ever forget it! The entire evening was an absolute dream, and your performance was such a huge part of making it so special. You truly exceeded all our expectations. You deserve all the recognition for the incredible experience you created for us and our guests. Thank you again for helping make our wedding day so memorable. Best wishes, Max.”
“Willow Ceilidh Band were absolutely brilliant at our wedding, they had everyone up dancing! Even my Dutch family who were skeptical about a Ceilidh absolutely loved it and American colleagues said every wedding should have a ceilidh. I can't recommend Willow Ceilidh Band highly enough we had the best night!! If you're looking for a great ceilidh band look no further. Thanks, Claire & Jonathan.”
Booked Willow Ceilidh Band for a wedding at The Lensbury in Teddington, Middlesex
“Tom and the band did a great job at my ceilidh. The music and energy were perfect and Tom did a good job introducing and calling each dance. About 2/3rds of guests had been to a ceilidh before and around 1/3rd were complete beginners, but everybody was able to join in and have a fun time. Tom was receptive to my different requests and we figured out the perfect plan for the night. The band arrived at the venue with plenty of time to set up and do sound checks, so everything kicked off according to schedule. Thanks again for a great night!”
Booked Ramnee Ceilidh Band for a ceilidh at St Mary Undercroft, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London
“Great band and disco for our wedding. Our guests loved the Scottish dancing followed by disco. Will was a real pleasure to work with. Ensured the band played songs and dances that suited us. And he took our playlist for the disco.”
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Ceilidh and Covers Band in London?
Ceilidh covers bands generally start at about £1,000. The average price of hiring a London ceilidh and covers band on FixTheMusic is £1375. Larger groups will charge more.
At FixTheMusic, the bands provide quotes directly to you – FixTheMusic is free for bookers to use.
How Far Do London Ceilidh Bands Travel?
Ceilidh bands in London on FixTheMusic are able to travel to venues throughout South East England, including to Essex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
They may need to charge a small amount for travel, but this will be included in the quote they provide to you. Most bands travel by car so please make sure there is parking as close as possible to your wedding venue.
See the map below to get an idea of how far London bands will travel – some may be able to travel further afield for your wedding reception.
So if you're looking for the best wedding ceilidh and covers band London has to offer, submit an enquiry on FixTheMusic.
What Sort of Music Do Ceilidh and Covers Band Perform?
A ceilidh and pop band will perform a wide mixture of classic ceilidh dances (Strip The Willow, Dashing White Sergeant, Circassian Circle, Gay Gordons, for example), as well as some pop and rock covers.
The pop covers will include songs from the 50s and 60s, right through to the 90s and present day cover songs.
The usual format of the evening will be to have a set or two of ceilidh dances to begin with. This gets your guests up off their seats and – crucially – on the dance floor!
After this, the band would take a break and play some music through their PA system (this can be chosen by you in advance). Then the ceilidh and covers band would move into the covers and pop music part of their repertoire.
We find splitting the night into two sections like this – ceilidh first; pop covers second – to be the most effective way of keeping your guests dancing throughout the night.
Some clients request the bands to intersperse ceilidh dances with pop covers within a set. Many of our bands find this to be a bit too disruptive to the flow of the wedding evening.
That said, it's your wedding so if you have preferences for how you want the evening to flow at your venue, then you can always discuss with the band and the band manager will always be happy to advise.
3 Reasons to Hire a Ceilidh & Covers Band for Your Wedding
This year, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of bookings for bands that perform a mixture of ceilidh and covers at weddings in England. In this blog post, we explore some of the top reasons to hire a ceilidh covers band for your own wedding.
A ceilidh and covers band is one that does exactly that: performs a mixture of ceilidh dances as well as regular pop and rock covers.
There are numerous bands like this in Scotland, where a lot of the local ceilidh bands have a decent repertoire of upbeat pop, rock, indie and soul covers that they play alongside the ceilidh music. But it’s becoming increasingly popular for ceilidh bands south of the border in England to offer this service.
Ceilidh bands on FixTheMusic have public liability insurance and PAT tested equipment.
So, why hire a ceilidh covers band for your wedding or event?
1. They are guaranteed to get your guests dancing!
By its very nature, a ceilidh is designed to get guests dancing. With a caller at the front of the room instructing guests on the steps to follow, it’s easy for guests of all ages to join in.
Having spoken to our wedding bands that play a mix of ceilidh and covers, they’ve found that once your guests are up on the dance floor for the ceilidh part of the evening, they are much more likely to stick around for the cover songs too. So it’s a perfect way to keep your dance floor full all night and bring all of your guests together.
2. They’re popular with guests both young and old
Many of our couples looking to book their wedding band tell us they want a group that will play music that will appeal to guests of all ages. They worry that bands that play only modern pop music (Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber covers etc.) will alienate the older guests, who would prefer to hear more 60s and 70s classic hits.
One of the great things about a ceilidh & covers band is that the ceilidh tunes they perform are timeless – popular with kids, millennials, middle-aged folk and the older generation alike. What’s more, the cover songs they perform will usually be a selection of only the very best hits from the sixties to current chart toppers. The wide variety of music they perform never fails to impress.
3. They’re more interesting than the usual function band
Although ceilidh covers bands are becoming more popular at English weddings, they are still booked far less often than standard function bands. So you can pretty much guarantee that almost none of your guests will have been to a party before that had a band performing classic covers as well as a ceilidh set.
That will keep your friends and family talking for months and years after your wedding.
One of our most popular and experienced ceilidh and covers bands is Paragon Ceilidh Band. They consistently receive rave reviews from our clients and we're always delighted to recommend them.
About FixTheMusic
FixTheMusic is a secure platform for hiring amazing professional wedding bands and musicians anywhere in the world. And it's completely free to use.
Founded in 2015 by two brothers who share a passion for great live music, FixTheMusic is a new way to find and book hand-picked bands for weddings, private parties, corporate events and charity events.
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As professional musicians, we realised how difficult it can be for event planners to find and book musicians for their event. So we decided to make it easy.
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