The UK's Best Function Bands

Function Bands For Hire

The UK's Best Function Bands

The UK’s finest professional function bands from leading live music agency, Tailored Entertainment. We’ve been specialising in live function entertainment for weddings, parties, and corporate events since 2008, and along the way we’ve developed a reputation for industry-leading acts and incredible customer service. Our function bands are some of the very best in the country - with literally thousands of bookings each year between them, and thousands of 5* reviews to match. When you book with us, you’re booking the very best. We have showstopping live function bands in all the most popular styles – from crowd favourites like indie-rock function bands and soul & Motown acts to specialist bookings like 90s retro bands and electro-swing. Whatever you’re looking for from your function entertainment, we’ve got you covered.

Professional Function Bands For Hire

Finding the perfect live music for functions has never been easier. You can personalise your search to match your location, budget, and preferred style.
If you’re not sure where to start, think about the kind of music that gets you dancing at weddings and parties. Can’t get enough of Motown? Check out some of our soul showbands. Love those indie disco classics? We’ve got some of the UK’s best indie rock function bands on our roster. Or maybe you fancy something a little different, like a vintage swing function band or an R&B party act. Whatever you’re into, you’ll find it right here. And if you’re still struggling to choose a professional function band for your big event, pick up the phone and chat to one of our expert team. We’d love to hear from you.Read more...

...we all had a fantastic time, and my friends are still raving about the band.
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“Words are not enough to express how wonderful they were! The band were amazing musicians, so friendly & professional and from the first dance to the last encore they had everyone up on the dance floor!”
Peter & Jane - Wedding, Tithe Barn, Hampshire

Need A Helping Hand Finding Your Perfect Function Band?

Got any burning questions about hiring your function band? Here’s answers to some that we get asked all the time…

How much does a professional function band cost in the UK?

For professional bands for functions, we recommend a base-level starting price of around £1000. At this price, you’re ensuring that your function band is made up of the UK’s very best professional musicians with the requisite skillset, equipment, and production to perform at any events venue in the country. Keep in mind that this is a starting price, and lots of bands you’ll like are going to cost more than this.

What does the function band fee include?

As standard, a Tailored Entertainment function band booking includes...

  • Two hours of live music split into sets to suit you.
  • Professional sound and lighting production.
  • A pre-mixed disco playlist for in between band sets.
  • PAT Testing and PLI Insurance (required by all UK wedding venues).

You also get our 5-star Tailored Entertainment customer service. From your first enquiry right through to the big day itself, you’ll have a dedicated booking agent on hand to answer any questions or arrange any last-minute changes. This kind of peace of mind can make all the difference in the lead-up to your big event!

Lots of our function bands also offer ‘optional extras’ for an additional fee. These include services such as afternoon drinks reception add-ons, roaming acoustic sets, ‘band as DJ’ sets, early load-in and late finishes. You’ll find all these options listed in the band’s profile.

Will my function band travel outside of their location?

Yes! Our function bands regularly travel to perform at events right across the UK and abroad. If your event is taking place more than two hours (one-way) from a band’s ‘location’, they will ask for an additional fee to cover travel and accommodation costs.

I’m looking for a Christmas function band. Will my band play Christmas songs?

Absolutely! When you start your search, you’ll see that many of our bands have a specific list of Christmas party tunes that they’d be more than happy to pack the set with! Every one of our function bands also offers to learn one special request, so you can add in your favourite if it’s not on the band’s repertoire.

I’m planning a ‘location wedding’ abroad. Can I still book a Tailored Entertainment function band?

Absolutely! Tailored Entertainment represents some of the UK’s very best international function bands. Our acts regularly travel overseas to perform at weddings and parties right across the world. Understandably, the way that international bookings are priced can be quite different to domestic gigs.

I’m booking a function band for New Years Eve, will the band play past midnight? (And will they play Auld Lang Syne?!)

If you’re booking a band for New Year’s Eve, they will be more than happy to amend their standard finish time to suit your party plans – however this may incur an extra charge. As for Auld Land Syne – you’ll find it on many of our function band’s repertoire, or alternatively you can ask for it as a ‘special request’.

We’re planning a function at our house/private residence. Is it still okay to book a professional function band?

Yes! Our function bands are more than happy to play at houses and private residences. If your function is taking place outdoors, you just need to make sure that there is adequate electrical power for the band to use. For more information on this, you can chat to our booking team.

How do I make a booking for a professional function band?

First off, take a look through our function band roster and shortlist any bands that you are keen on. Once you've made your shortlist you can submit that to us – you’ll be asked to provide your contact details, and then one of our booking team will get in touch with you to chat through options and how to progress. If you’d prefer, you can just give us a call on 0800 564 2240 to get the ball rolling with finding your perfect function band!

Are there any extra costs I need to think about when hiring a function band?

The price you see listed on the function band’s profile is our guide price. This is the average amount that it will cost to book the band. However, there are a few things that might affect the final cost of booking your live function entertainment. For example, travel distance – the band’s guide price is based on them performing at local venues (usually within 30 miles of their base). If your party venue is further away than this, there will be a travel fee added to your quote.

There are a few other things that might increase the cost of booking your party music. If you would like the band to arrive early/stay late then this will incur an extra fee, and if you decide to book any of the band’s ‘optional extras’, these will also incur an extra charge.

For more information on this, give our team a call on 0800 564 2240. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Can I pick the songs my function band performs?

On every function band’s profile, you’ll find their specific repertoire of function band music. We suggest that you take their repertoire into consideration when booking your function band, and make sure that you like plenty of the songs on their list. When you book your act, we’ll ask you to go through this list and highlight your favourites, so the band can keep those in mind when putting the sets together for your big night. You can also use this time to identify any songs you wouldn’t like to hear, too.

All our professional function bands also offer to learn one special request (a song not listed on their repertoire) as standard with your booking. You can use this as your first dance, or just choose a particular favourite song.

Can we provide our own party playlist for before and after the function band live sets?

Absolutely! You can put together a Spotify playlist and pass this across to the band ahead of the event, and they will be happy to play this in between sets. Or if you’d prefer, the band can put a playlist together for you. Many of our function bands also offer a ‘band as DJ’ add-on, where the band members personally MC the party and take requests too.

Can someone help me pick the right function band?

If you’re struggling to find the right live function entertainment for you, we’d be more than happy to help! It’s helpful to think about the kind of music you like to listen to, or the kind of music that gets you and your friends and family dancing at a party, and choose an act that fits with that style. If you’re still not sure, give our expert team a call and we can suggest a few acts you might like based on your preferences, location and budget.

Do your function bands provide insurance certificates such as Public Liability Insurance and PAT Testing certificates?

In many function venues Public Liability Insurance (PLI) and PAT Testing Certificates (documentation that ensures all electrical items are safe) are an essential requirement from bands for parties. Every one of our function bands carry up-to-date PLI and PAT Testing Certification in line with wedding venues guidelines, meaning when you book a Tailored Entertainment function act, you’ve nothing to worry about.

What different styles of function band can I book?

Our function bands cover all the most popular styles in contemporary function entertainment. We have festival-style function bands for rustic barn and tipi weddings, soul & Motown showbands for big, glitzy events, Gatsby-style bands for vintage parties and indie-rock covers bands that guarantee a packed dancefloor. For those looking for something a bit different from their covers band, we’ve got incredible dance anthem bands, retro 90s college rock acts, brilliant RnB bands and much more besides!

If you don’t know where to start, its useful to think about the kind of music you love and find a band that fits. You can use our search function to fine-tune your choices a bit!

Will my function band stay late/arrive early?

Yes! A band’s standard fee is based on seven hours onsite (5pm arrival, midnight finish). For an additional fee, all our acts are willing to arrive earlier or stay a bit later to suit your event’s schedule.

How early should I book my function band?

The timing has to be right for you, but we’d recommend booking your function band as early as possible. We represent some of the best function bands in country, and peak summer dates will often book up around a year in advance - sometimes longer. To ensure you get the band you really want, we’d suggest booking as soon as you have your venue sorted.

My function venue has a noise limiter. Can I still book my function band?

The short answer is yes, you absolutely can book a great band if your venue has a noise limiter. Most of our professional function bands are able to perform within the restrictions of a sound limiter and your experience will be the same as at a venue without one. We have a few bands - mainly the club anthems style, whose music may not be suitable depending on the individual venue restrictions. Please contact us to chat further if your venue has a sound limiter as we'll likely have experience of working at your chosen venue. You can read all about what sound limiters are and how they might affect your party entertainment in our Tailored Guide on function venues with sound limiters.

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