Hire Indie Bands in the UK
Hire an indie band to turn your next event into the party of the year. With their fresh style, distinct sound, and magnetic performances, indie bands aren't just professional musicians; they're artists who create an atmosphere that is sure to wow.
Whether you want an indie rock wedding band or an indie pop-rock birthday party, these bands for hire bring sizzling individuality to make your event unforgettable.
The UK has been at the front of the stage of the indie music scene for decades. In fact, the term "indie rock" originated in Manchester, where bands like Buzzcocks led the way in the 70s. Today, the UK indie rock band scene is still booming, with talented bands offering a wide range of sounds and styles.
Many indie cover bands provide a blend of rock and pop, making them a perfect match for events of all kinds and sizes. From rock anthems to classic hits, a live band connects with audiences and gets the party rocking on the dance floor.
Are you ready to add flair to your celebration? Then check out our list of top indie bands for hire in the UK.
Most popular indie bands
How it works
Can Any Indie Band Play My Favourite Song?
Most indie bands play a blend of rock, pop, indie, and even folk music covers, so your favourite song is probably already in the mix. On FixTheMusic, each band's profile has a set song list so that you can see what's on offer.
These bands are also generally flexible and willing to learn a couple of specific songs for your event, especially if they fit within their genre and style. Just reach out to the band ahead of time with your requests to ensure they can accommodate them.
How Much Time Do Indie Bands Take to Set Up?
Setup times can vary, but most indie bands typically require one to three hours to set up, perform a sound check and arrange any particular lighting equipment.
Keep in mind that setting up is smoother if there is easy access to the venue and an organised event schedule.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Indie Band?
The costs to hire an indie band can vary, depending on the following factors:
- Popularity of the live band
- Duration of the performance
- Location
However, on average, you can expect to pay from £1,200 to £2,000 for a professional indie band in the UK. An acoustic duo or three-piece rock band playing acoustic sets will be on the lower end, while larger bands will cost more.
Additionally, anything after midnight may cost more, so discuss your needs and preferences when booking for a tailored quote.
View Some of Our Indie Bands Performing Live
What Classifies a Band as 'Indie'?
Indie bands are independent bands that usually operate without the backing of a major record label.
Specifically, indie rock features unique sounds with guitar-based arrangements, often accompanied by vocals.
Famous indie rock bands like Arctic Monkeys, Kaizer Chiefs, and The Strokes define the genre's eclectic style, blending pop, rock, and indie anthems.
What Type of Person Likes Indie Music?
There is a misconception that classic indie music is just rock music or pop anthems heard at charity events. But this couldn't be further from the truth!
Indie music appeals to a diverse audience that values originality over mainstream trends, like Stevie Wonder or the Backstreet Boys.
Indie rock bands are particularly popular with the under-40s crowd, who love their unique sounds and high-energy performances. Many of these bands also perform nostalgic music covers from their teenage years, blending indie charm with hits from genres like pop-punk and classic rock.
How Do You Find an Indie Wedding Band in the UK?
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! So, you have set your event date and want to hire an indie wedding band to get the party started at your reception? It's easy!
Online platforms like FixTheMusic are excellent resources for finding the best wedding indie bands. You can browse portfolios, read reviews, and connect with bands that fit your style.
How Long Will an Indie Band Play For?
Most indie bands perform two live sets of around 45-60 minutes, but others may offer three 40-minute sets. Additionally, most bands have a playlist of recorded music or a DJ set between performances.
What Type of Music Will an Indie Band Play?
Indie bands typically cover a wide range of genres, from folk to pop to rock. Each band has its own style, so check their repertoire to find the right match for your event.
What Kind of Events Can I Hire an Indie Band For?
You can hire professional musicians for any event you like—weddings, birthday celebrations, corporate events, festivals, charity events, and everything in between.
If you want to fill the dance floor (even if it's just for a Saturday night splurge), live music is the way to go.
Can an Indie Band Play Outdoors?
Yes, your indie band can play outdoors if the following are taken into consideration:
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The weather: Rain, snow, and strong winds are no good for outdoor parties.
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Access to electrical points: Your band will need access to power their equipment, from amps to microphones. If you want a lighting set-up, this will also need to be powered.
How Do You Choose an Indie Band for Your Event?
First, consider the overall theme, audience and desired mood you want to create at your event. Then, browse FixTheMusic and the bands's profiles to create a shortlist of your favourites.
Once you've narrowed your options, send an enquiry to all of them in just one click. You can then make your final decision based on your budget and the bands's availability.
Hire an indie band today to get your guests dancing with the best live music!
Reviews from local events in the UK
“These guys were fantastic! Sounded amazing and brought a lot of energy and fun to the dancefloor. Couldn't have asked for a better band.”
Booked The Manhattans for a wedding at Rumbolds Farm & Livery, Billingshurst, UK
“The Hawks were amazing, fantastic playlist, great audience particiption. The guests praised the band on their great sound, and exceptional vocals. Overall their charisma, and banter with the guests made the party a great success. Thank you, we had an unforgetable night. Peter & Jacqui XXXXX”
“Just wanted to say the biggest thank you to you and the band, you guys were perfect, exactly what we wanted and everyone LOVED it!! Really amazing thank you 🥳”
“We can’t recommend The Tourists enough! Lost count of how many guests commented on how brilliant the band was! Every song in their set was banger after banger, and everyone had such a fab time! Si was also so great in the booking and planning stages!”
Booked The Tourists for a wedding at St Michael's Manor Hotel, St Albans, UK
“We could not have been happier with the service from Kester and the band. From the very beginning, Kester was fantastic - friendly, professional and always on hand to make sure every detail was taken care of, which made the planning process completely stress free. On the day, Ian and the band were brilliant. They arrived on time, were polite and professional and checked in with us throughout the evening to make sure the music was just right. They created an amazing atmosphere in our garden, played a fantastic mix of music that had everyone enjoying themselves, and even kept the mood going with background disco music between sets. Thank you all for helping make our wedding so memorable. We highly recommend you to anyone looking for a talented, reliable and genuinely lovely band.”
“Brilliant! Thank you so much. Everyone had a great night and the Score were great. Lots of dancing!”
“Amazing band, would definitely recommend them to anyone! So helpful and flexible, really helped make our day!”
“We cannot recommend them enough! We have had non stop compliments from our guests, and as someone who had genuine nightmares about the dance floor being empty at our wedding. They brought all the good vibes, played banger after banger, and even added in some extra ones that they noticed on our guest request list they had just learned. We felt so grateful for their expertise on what songs guests wanted to dance to, and how to make sure the vibes stayed good all night! Si was absolutely amazing, from our call before the wedding I knew we were in good hands, and that the band would make the night great. The communication from booking and to the wedding was fab. If you want the dance floor to be full, and the music to be incredible, book them! xx”
“Hi “Lead Singer Sam!!” Thank you for your email. I’ve been meaning to write to you all week but we’ve been so busy planning our next event tomorrow I hadn’t managed to yet. This event is on a much smaller scale than the event last week thankfully! Sam and the band, thank you SO much from the bottom of my heart. As the parents’ said: “the band were AMAZING!!!” The communication with you from the get go was second to none. Very professional! Your calm demeanour is enough to put any stressed out party planner at ease. You certainly calmed my nerves!! You transitioned from roaming acoustic duo, to DJ to band with ease. You got the crowd going with Common People, Mr Brightside and my favourite ditty - Don’t Look Back in Anger - when half of our class danced in a circle and belted out the lyrics. The night couldn’t have gone better and The Manhattans certainly played a massive part in making it such a success. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you and I’m thinking of a reason to hire you again. Sam - you’re a legend!! Thank you SO much again. Take care and until next time Tammie”
“Cosmic Carnival were amazing! They played mostly covers and often sounded better than the original! Fantastic singing and playing, a really tight group of excellent musicians who really seem to enjoy playing together. Everyone was dancing and woo-ing - couldn't have been better. Thanks guys!”
“What a fantastic band The Crossbones are. They had the dance floor full from start to end, getting involved with the crowd and making sure everyone had a good time. The band were incredibly accommodating with our first dance request, before/after playlists, and we're flexible with changes to songs and times on the night. All the guests were full of compliments for the band. I can't recommend them enough!”
“We first saw The Manhattans playing at a friend’s wedding and loved their set list - they played a brilliant mix of pop, rock and classics which got everyone on the dance floor. It was the best time I’d ever had at a wedding, and that’s what I wanted my guests to think too, so we booked them. Sam was brilliant while we were booking, very friendly and responsive. He and the band learned our first dance song, 11:11 by The Arkells and performed it brilliantly on the night. The whole band were super friendly and approachable. They brought all their kit, including lighting, and we didn’t notice them doing their set up or pack down. I wouldn’t change a thing, and if I was getting married again, I would 100% pick them to perform again. I write all this as ‘I’ rather than ‘we’ because my new husband loves music but hates dancing, so while he loved The Manhattans and what they brought to our wedding, he mostly loved that I was so happy with our decision to go with 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.
FixTheMusic is free to use – the price you agree with musicians is the price you pay.
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!
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.
With FixTheMusic, all you need to do is tell us what you’re looking for and our system does the heavy lifting to get you offers from our carefully curated selection of amazing musicians.
We make it simple and secure for you to connect directly with the best musicians across the globe so you can book live music for any event within minutes.
Have a read of our highly curated list of 31 Best Wedding Bands in the UK ➡️
We're regularly mentioned in forums and wedding industry blogs and were recently featured in Vogue. Take a look at FixTheMusic in the press.
Check out our Instagram, YouTube and TikTok ♪ for videos and photos of our bands performing at real weddings, parties and events.
FixTheMusic is trusted by the world's most prestigious brands, universities, charities, wedding planners and events companies
FixTheMusic's corporate and government clients include Google, Facebook, Amazon, Lamborghini, Samsung, U.S. Department of State, Formula One, The Premier League, The Crown Estate, UNESCO, Playstation, Huawei, Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi, CHANEL, Dior, Bacardi, Unilever, Red Bull, Sky Arts, L'Oréal, House of Fraser, The Ritz, The Savoy, Johnson & Johnson, Aldi, the British Army, Ministry of Defence, Virgin Sport, WPP, W Series, KPMG, Deloitte, The Economist, G4S, Lavazza, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, English Heritage, The Courtauld Institute of Art, The King's Fund and numerous luxury hotels and wedding planners around the world 🌍
FixTheMusic is proud to have provided live music for numerous charity fundraising events, including for London's Air Ambulance, WWF UK, The Zoological Society of London, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, The Royal British Legion, Shelter, The Genesis Research Trust and The Pituitary Foundation.
Local professional musicians and function bands throughout the world
Beyond the UK, FixTheMusic has helped clients find amazing local musicians and book UK-based bands for destination weddings and events as far afield as Cyprus, France, Malta, Monaco, Ibiza, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Finland, Poland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Guinea, India, Israel, the Dominican Republic, Singapore and China.
We are the world's leading specialists in providing outstanding bands for weddings in France, Italy, Greece (and the Greek islands, especially Santorini), Spain, Portugal and Croatia.
We have ambitious plans to grow internationally over the coming years — we want FixTheMusic to be the first port of call for discovering and booking outstanding local musicians throughout the world.
View thousands of verified reviews of our wedding bands and book with confidence
We're proud that we have received consistent 5-star reviews on Facebook, Google and Trustpilot.
As well as offering only a carefully curated selection of hand-picked bands and musicians, we strive to provide world-class customer service so you can book with complete confidence. See what our clients say in our verified reviews.
FixTheMusic was a finalist in the Parmee Prize for Entrepreneurs at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
We have been an official supplier with Rock My Wedding. They choose only the very best wedding suppliers and we're proud that they invited us to join their hand-picked selection of outstanding suppliers.
We have become the first port-of-call for British couples looking to hire the finest wedding bands UK has to offer.
Having provided the live music entertainment for thousands of weddings and events worldwide, we were often asked by clients if we provided other entertainers aside from bands.
We now offer a full range of entertainment options for weddings and corporate events, from fire dancers and magicians to acrobats and stilt walkers, including other professionals such as wedding photographers.
To minimise our carbon footprint, for every 10 bookings on FixTheMusic, we provide funds to Trees for Cities for one tree to be planted. Trees for Cities is a UK charity which aims to plant urban trees and create greener cities 🏙️ 🌳
You can read more about FixTheMusic and their team of Ed, Adam, Zazie & Paul.