Function bands
Background musicians
Function bands
Background musicians
Our hand-picked collection of luxury show bands and world-class musicians have performed at some of the most exclusive parties and corporate events of the year, both in the UK and internationally.
Excellent
933 reviews on
To check availability, please add your event date to the menu above.
An incredible DJ and sax pairing with more live roaming musicians available, such as percussion and e-violin. The ideal choice for clients wanting to bridge the gap between a DJ and a live band.
Flipping the script on traditional tunes, these dynamic brass wizards serve up everything from The Beatles to Beyonce.
Winners of the Prestige Awards 'Best London Party Band', The Chandeliers bring their youthful energy to a range a fresh medleys and rewrites of party favourites.
Fantastic all-female soul, Motown and pop band with a wide-ranging repertoire, who have performed with artists as diverse as Lady Gaga, The Noisettes, Corinne Bailey Rae and Fatboy Slim! DJ service also available.
This dynamic band hits all the right notes with classic Lindy hop and jump jive tunes, along with swinging renditions of chart-toppers by Pharrell and Bruno Mars. With their all-singing, all-swinging style, they're a sure bet for getting everyone up and dancing on the floor.
Funk & soul party band in the South West featuring male lead vocals and a fantastic rhythm section and horns. Grand Central play uptempo, soulful tunes, from James Brown to David Bowie. Available with a two-piece horn section.
Super smooth jazz and swing band fronted by a very talented male vocalist. Additional musicians, smaller line-ups and acoustic sets also available.
The best in roaming bands across the UK, Rewind are a top quality 4-piece group of highly-talented musicians that can bring you tight 4-part harmonies with songs from Drake to Bob Marley!
Knock-out party band featuring members who have recorded and performed at Abbey Road and Glastonbury and playing some of the biggest soul and pop floor-fillers of all time.
A supreme events band, performing globally since 2012, The Impressions offer vivid energy and musical brilliance, wrapped in a luxurious package.
From pop favourites and feel-good funk to afrobeats and updated jazz classics, The DBs turn the traditional brass band format on its head and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century!
High-energy pop and soul band with an enormous song list of almost 500 songs and featuring a world-class female vocalist! Book the band with optional 3-piece brass section or DJ!
If you're hoping for the ultimate party experience then look no further! This collective of London's West End's best singers and musicians are set to take your event to another level!
High energy 80s tribute band who embody the colourful, glamorous and dramatic spirit of the 80s playing classic hits by Prince, Wham! and Queen.
Energetic female-fronted soul and pop party band, playing the very best party music that’s guaranteed to pack your dance floor. Extra singers, brass section, and DJ service available.
Internationally acclaimed Cuban band with incredible female lead vocals, a driving intensity and irresistible rhythms guaranteed to turn any event into a fiesta!
Featuring powerful live vocals and virtuoso sax and guitar, BTP perform to high-quality backing tracks which can be replaced with a live DJ or live drums on request. Non-stop, party-starting entertainment.
A professional collective with a live band and DJ that offer more fun, energy and talent than you can handle and are guaranteed to create an unforgettable evening of performances.
World-class brass and drums party band who are regulars at Glastonbury and have performed for Jamie Oliver and Liam Gallagher.
Performing globally since 2010, an energetic and experienced act, creating musical performances for you to treasure, always!
A showband is exactly the same as a cover band, but with an emphasis on the visual presentation of the band, whether that's in dress, lighting or sound. Typically they're larger than normal party bands, use a higher quality of musician, and are able to perform a wider variety of genres from rock to jazz.
Most showbands will incorporate both male and female vocalists, giving them access to a larger repertoire of songs.
Showbands usually contain at least 5 members, and are priced in the range of £1500 to £7000. The median price paid for a show band is around £3000.
Most bands have the option of adding a brass section as well as
introducing more lead singers and backing vocalist for the fullest
possible sound.
From Bar Mitzvahs to retirement dos, annual office parties to New Year's celebrations, birthdays and weddings, we have a band for every crowd at every chapter of life.
Whilst our bands always prefer to perform locally, they're happy to travel.
Our roster of the UK's best showbands will give your guests something to remember long after the final song.
Our local bands specialise in getting guests dancing at after-dinner
functions - but if your event is in the afternoon or needs more of a
background atmosphere, check out our acoustic acts, or our collection of roving musicians.
Browse the UK's top showbands on this page, or check out our wedding bands.
You can see a complete list of any particular band's repertoire on their profile page, but, on the whole, you can expect all your favourite pop, rock and soul covers from artists over the last 50 years.
From Lulu and The Beatles to contemporary hits by Rihanna, Beyoncé and The Weeknd, nothing is off limits for our showbands!
If you have a specific genre in mind and would rather a band that focuses on a theme, check out our soul and funk bands, swing bands or our tribute acts that cover the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Don't forget that when you book a larger line up, the band is more
likely to have keyboards and brass which means they can play an even
broader range of the pop, dance, soul and indie tracks that you love!
Absolutely! All our showbands for hire are self-contained and bring their own PA sound system as well as the microphones, amplifiers and instruments that they need.
It is, however, worth letting us know if you're expecting more than 200 guests at your event so that we can double check that the band's sound system is big enough.
Nearly all of our bands also bring lighting to add even more life to
your function and take the dancefloor to another level. As with the song
list, check out your chosen band's profile page to see if there are
extra items you can add on to make your evening even more memorable!
The only thing our showbands need is access to a power supply and a suitably sized space to set up in and deliver their performance from!
We hope to make it as easy as possible for you to have the band you want at your event and, as a guide, we suggest reserving a 3m wide x 3m deep space for a 3-piece band – and then adding an extra square metre for each extra band member.
If it is possible to have this space on a raised stage, that will
always help your band have a bigger impact but the most important thing
is that the space is flat and dry! Our showbands will do the rest!
If
you’re not sure about the space you can provide, read the ‘performance
information’ on the band’s profile to check their specifics.
On the whole, our showbands just need 60-90 minutes from around
5pm or 6pm to set up their gear and run a quick sound check.
The
best case scenario is that your venue is free of guests at this time
although many of our bands will be able to do a silent 'line check' to
test most instruments without sound running through the front-of-house
speakers.
If you're booking a band for after-dinner dancing, most of our acts will perform 2 x 60 minute sets from around 9.30pm to midnight - normally with a half hour interval.
If you're keen to keep the music going after midnight with the band or a different DJ, an extra fee usually applies.
Please make sure that you have food and refreshments for the band so that they can keep their energy up all night and put on the best show possible.
Also, if access to the venue is difficult, some of the band members may need parking spaces or a secure changing room to be able to leave their personal items and some equipment during your function.
Any requirements like this will be listed on the band's profile so do take a close look!
It's always worth checking whether your show band can provide the
different styles of music that you're hoping to have at your event
throughout the day.
Many of our show band musicians can also perform afternoon background music that will then save you additional costs in booking others to travel and perform at a different time of day.
Equally, if you haven't got a definite date in mind for your function yet, you might want to think about hosting a midweek or winter event to make the most of our bands reduced rates.
Always book a local band if you can, to save on travel and accommodation costs. We have excellent bands in nearly every town and city in the UK!
Function Central is one of the leading providers of showbands for weddings, parties and corporate functions. Find and book a local band to save on travel and accommodation costs, using the menu below.
Back to top
