The Ceilidh Band

A Cèilidh (pronounced ‘KAY-lee’, like the name ‘Kayleigh’) is a traditional get-together in Scotland and Ireland, the name meaning ‘visit’ in Gaelic. Before discos and nightclubs, cèilidhs were the main way people could meet and socialise in a fun, lively setting, much like English country dances back in the day.

What sets a cèilidh apart from an evening of regular musical entertainment is that, in addition to being treated to folk music so upbeat that no toe could resist tapping along to it, attendees are also invited to join in set dances - group dances with specific moves which everyone follows.

Now, a cèilidh band is only as good as its members, but arguably the most important member - or, at least, the member that defines the group as a bona fide cèilidh band - is the caller. While the fiddler, flautist, tin whistle player, accordionist, mandolinist and bodhrán player are channelling the spirit of Ireland and Scotland through their music, the caller is weaving a type of magic of their own - turning everyone in the room, regardless of age or ability, into a dancer!

Your caller will usually spend the first 5-10 minutes of your cèilidh band’s first set teaching - then, without any further ado, will launch you into your first dance - and things just get more and more fun from there!

Cèilidh bands vary in price but you can expect to receive quotes from £200-£300 per member, which works out at around £1000-£1500+ for a five-piece band with caller. However, we do offer a few alternative line-ups, such as a three-piece and four-piece, to meet differing budget and venue needs. As long as your line-up consists of a caller and at least two other players, your guests are guaranteed to have a great time!

Each of our cèilidh bands offers an extensive repertoire of traditional Gaelic folk music, but a proper cèilidh will feature such staples as ‘Gay Gordons’, ‘The Walls of Limerick’, ‘Dashing White Sergeant’, ‘Siege of Ennis’ and ‘The Stack of Barley’ - each with their own traditional dance steps, of course!

While many cèilidh bands like to keep the music they play 100% genuine, many others like to put a folk twist on modern and popular music. You might hear an even more Scottish-sounding ‘I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ by the Proclaimers before the night is over!

The limit is your imagination! The inclusive nature of a cèilidh lends itself well to most event types with space in the schedule for a bit of a dance. Some obvious winnering choices include Burns Night Party, a St Patrick’s Day celebration or a Hogmanay event - but bringing some good auld Gaelic energy to your wedding reception, corporate event, birthday party, bah or bat mitzvah, gala or fundraiser event will guarantee each and every last one of your guests a brilliant time.

Your venue doesn’t need to be huge - you just need to take into account how many musicians you want to hire, and how many guests you want to squeeze onto your dance floor. Most average-sized function rooms should offer plenty of space - village halls and community centres are also popular choices.

Usually, the band will split their performance into two 60-minute sets. However, our flexible and accommodating musicians will be more than happy to work with you and advise whether these sets should be split up further if you need to fit them around other significant portions of your event, such as the best man’s speech at your wedding reception, or the blowing out of the candles on your birthday cake.