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Show bands for hire

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.

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from£4,615

Soul Club

  • London
  • 6-10
  • (55)

Max out on soul and sophistication with Soul Club, a high energy show band comprising musicians who have toured with Stormzy and Dua Lipa. Expect stunning vocals and unparalleled musicianship.

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from£2,340

Party Up

  • Kent
  • 6-10
  • (188)

Party down with Party Up, the slickest soul, funk and R&B band in the South East! Featuring sax and up to three stunning vocalists, the band count Sky, Cadburys and Emma Thompson among their regular clients.

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from£1,750

Manhattan

  • Leeds
  • 5-10
  • (76)

Dynamic Motown, pop and soul band with stunning female and male lead vocals, impressive industry credentials and a playlist of soulful floor-fillers by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna.

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from£2,095

PYT

  • London
  • 3
  • (57)

Live DJ band featuring soulful female vocals and soaring sax solos, and playing all your favourite tunes from 80s anthems through to this year's bangers.

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from£3,450

The Capricorns

  • Kent
  • 7-10
  • (76)

Stylish, globe-trotting function band featuring powerhouse vocalists and gigs for KPMG, Gucci and Jaguar alongside weddings in London and Dubai.

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from£1,995

Downtown Underground

  • Manchester
  • 6-7
  • (115)

World-class pop, funk and soul function band, refreshing and recreating the classic soul sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s, alongside soul-infused contemporary pop and R&B.

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from£3,250

Beat Club

  • London
  • 5-8
  • (48)

Incredible soul, R&B and pop function band featuring joint male and female lead vocals, sax and keyboards, and performing five decades of floor-fillers.

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from£2,315

Supereight

  • London
  • 6-8
  • (149)

Supereight combine outrageously talented vocalists, session-standard instrumentalists, a punchy brass section, and a dancefloor-friendly song list of soul, garage, funk and hip-hop.

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from£3,995

Club Soul

  • London
  • 4
  • (44)

Max out on all your party favourites with this stunning live DJ band featuring sax, vocals and percussion. Expect high energy show-stopping performances.

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from£1,890

Masterblaster

  • London
  • 5-7
  • (50)

Fronted by a world-class female vocalist, Masterblaster perform wide-ranging sets of rock, pop, funk and soul floor-fillers through the eras, with optional jazz, country, Israeli and Arabic sets.

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from£2,760

Pacha Vibe

  • Brighton
  • 5-10
  • (54)

Expect outstanding musicianship from players at the very top of their game, performing the best of old skool and newest anthems from R&B, club classics, garage, pop, soul and motown. Highly recommended for all types of event!

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from£5,950

The Recollections

  • London
  • 10-13
  • (24)

Bust a move to the coolest classics and the freshest new sounds – The Recollections comprise accomplished West End singers are backed up by a ridiculously talented collection of session musicians, who have performed hundreds of events together.

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from£1,950

The Soul Cats

  • London
  • 5-7
  • (96)

Infectiously energetic and spirited pop, soul and Motown band featuring sax and two extraordinary vocal talents – guaranteed to get your guests dancing. Chose between male or female vocals or both.

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from£3,570

Party Club International

  • London
  • 5-12
  • (22)

Party Club International featuring world-class musicians who have shared stage with Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and George Ezra, Party Club International offers a meticulously curated and expertly performed selection of the finest pop, soul and Motown.

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from£3,750

Tokyo

  • London
  • 6
  • (30)

An unstoppable group of soulful musicians bringing you the finest pop, R&B, soul and dance tunes from across the decades with their show-stopping vocals and energetic, engaging performances.

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from£2,890

Brass and Decks

  • London
  • 3-5
  • (34)

Globetrotting international DJ live act with trumpet, sax and two percussionists, blending infectious grooves with Ibiza classics to keep guests on the dancefloor all night.

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from£2,260

The Renegades

  • Wiltshire
  • 5-10
  • (17)

From a dynamic 5-piece to an explosive 10-piece, this versatile band covers a real mix of genres—from rock and indie classics to reggae and modern hits—delivering electrifying performances that transform any event.

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from£4,540

Lightspeed

  • Kent
  • 7
  • (30)

Ultimate live music experience featuring a centre-stage light up drum kit that delivers a feast for the eyes and ears. This slick outfit brings you supreme talent and a large repertoire of chart hits. Additional musicians, jazz sets and DJ service available.

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from£2,400

Drum n Brass

  • Manchester
  • 5-10
  • (58)

Performing hi-octane brass arrangements of floor-fillers by Daft Punk, Queen, Beyonce and more, Drum 'n' Brass are a fresh alternative to traditional cover bands. Male vocals optional.

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from£2,995

Detroit City Soul

  • London
  • 7-10
  • (33)

High-energy with a truly authentic sound, Detroit City Soul play classics from the Motown era through to the latest pop floor-fillers. They can also play jazz, rock'n'roll, disco, funk and Jewish hora!


The easy way to hire showbands

  • Handpicked showbands for weddings & parties
  • For weddings, corporate functions and private parties
  • Fast customer service and an easy booking process
  • Round-the-clock support and artist replacement
  • Expert advice on hiring a premium band for your event

Showband booking guide

What is a showband?

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.

How much does it cost to hire a showband?

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.

What sort of events do your showbands play at?

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.

What style of music do your showbands play?

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!

Do your showbands bring their own sound and lighting equipment?

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!

Is there any equipment that we need to provide?

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.

How long will the band need to set up?

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.

How long will the band play for on the night?

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.

Is there anything else that we will need to sort out for the band?

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!

How can we save money on our show band?

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!


Local showbands - handpicked for you

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.

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