Organising an English ceilidh or barn dance - FAQs

Some information which we hope will be of use to anyone running a ceilidh or planning an event which involves a ceilidh. If you have any questions which are not adressed here please feel free to contact us – we’re happy to offer advice even if you’re not ready to book a band for your event yet or are just considering the idea of having a ceilidh.

What kind of events are ceilidhs suitable for?

Birthday parties, wedding and civil partnership receptions, club or society social events, retirement parties and wedding anniversary parties are among the events we regularly play for. Ceilidhs are great for pleasing audiences of mixed age groups as everyone can join in and enjoy the dancing and music and no previous dancing experience is required. As most ceilidh dances are done in groups, ceilidhs are particularly good for helping people who don’t know each other to mix in an informal way, which is particularly useful for events where different groups of friends, relatives or colleagues are invited. The music is always at a comfortable volume level, so the guests can still sit and talk to each other when they are not dancing even when the band is playing.

We have never done ceilidh dancing before, does it matter?

No, no-one needs to have done ceilidh dancing before to be able to join in. We always bring a caller who encourages the audience onto the floor, walks the audience through the dances before the music starts and continues to call the dance while the music is playing. The caller will select dances to suit the audience and, unless we’re told otherwise, we assume that most or all of the guests will be new to ceilidh dancing.

How long do you play for?

However long works best for the event – our ceilidhs don't have a fixed length. As a guide, for evenings where the ceilidh is the main event (e.g. birthday parties, social evenings) we usually play for around three to three and a half hours with an interval in the middle, during which food is served at some events. For wedding receptions we usually play for between two and three hours, usually with an interval and often an evening buffet in the middle or afterwards. Sometimes for weddings and birthday parties we play for the first part of the evening and then a DJ takes over later on (either after the interval/buffet or just for the last hour or so), although we are usually booked as the entertainment for the whole evening.

The above is just a guide to give you an idea of what, in our experience, usually happens at ceilidhs - we’re happy to fit in with your event in whatever way is most suitable and offer advice if you wish.

The logistical bits: what is needed for a ceilidh?

Apart from an enthusiastic audience…

The legal bits

Our PA system is PAT tested annually and we hold Public Liability Insurance for a value of £5,000,000. If your event is being held in a hotel the venue may require any band you book to have these.