How Much Does It Cost To Hire Entertainment?

Events can take infinite forms.

Sophisticated parties. Raucous birthday celebrations. Glitzy get-togethers.

No two are ever identical, and subsequently, neither are costs. Different events demand different performers who charge different prices – and event booking can seem like a financial minefield as a result.

There’s no clear answer to the question ‘how much does it cost to hire entertainment.’ Whether you’re looking for glamourous corporate events entertainment or simply want to hire a band for a party, price will invariably prove an influential factor in your final decision.

That’s why we’ve put together an exclusive pricing guide for the Silk Street booking process. Going in cold can spring a few financial surprises. By reading up on what to expect in terms of cost, you’ll be better placed to land events entertainment that offers excellent value for money.

The importance of setting a budget

Catching a glimpse of a performer in full swing is invigorating. For many, all it takes is a video clip of an act in their element, and they’re ready to pluck the credit card from their wallet or purse. Which is understandable, of course. Everybody wants the best bands, and acting fast can ensure you secure their services before anybody else does.

But remember to tread carefully. If you don’t set a budget from the outset, this brilliant act will prove to be a burden. In time, you’ll simply associate them with cost rather than performance, with price getting in the way of all the joyous emotions you’re supposed to be experiencing with great events entertainment.

Be honest with your budget and determine what you want to spend from the outset. Set yourself a perfect price and an upper limit which you simply cannot cross, before submitting these figures to the Silk Street team when you make an enquiry. This will help us to pick appropriate that doesn’t drain your bank account.

If you have an overall spending budget for your entire event already, the experts at our UK music agency can even help you set money aside just for the acts, leaving you plenty of pennies for other elements like venue, catering and props.

It’s almost impossible to put concrete price tags on any act. There is a countless array of mitigating factors that the tweak cost of Silk Street performances. However, the following price guide provides a ballpark figure for different types of entertainment and indicates what you can expect to pay in each scenario.

There are a number of factors that can influence price, including:

Size of the band/act/number of musicians
Location of your event (travel expenses and/or accommodation for late finishes)
Date (weekends and bank holidays often cost more)
Performance times (When/how long do you want your act to perform for? Wedding bands specialise in evening sessions around 7pm-midnight, for example)

Price guide by act type:

Wedding bands

Price Guide: £1,000 – £3,500+

Wedding bands can range from duos to dozens of musicians on stage at once – and in most instances, you can change the number of performers to fit your budget.

Wedding singer

Price Guide: £750 – £1,000+

Wedding singer prices can vary depending on the experience and pedigree of the person on stage, with dates/times another key factor in costs.

Party band

Price Guide: £1,000 – £3,000+

In the same vein as wedding bands, party bands will charge higher prices for more musicians. Expect to pay a little more if you request special/visual effects.

Function band

Price Guide: £1,500 – £4,000+

Function bands are often a little classier in terms of appearance, although tend to remain flexible with regards to band member numbers so you can tweak costs accordingly.

Cabaret

Price Guide: £500 – £3,000+

A full cabaret show is likely to be at the higher end of the scale, although solo cabaret performances are available if your budget doesn’t quite stretch that far.

Caricaturists

Price Guide: £400 – £700

Caricaturists are often individuals, so dates/times are likely to be the only real factors when it comes to price.

Comedy

Price Guide: £500 – £1000

Comedians specialise in evening entertainment, so may charge more for performing in the mornings. Set length will also influence cost.

Party DJs

Price Guide: £500 – £1000

A DJ’s price will be affected by the length of their set and the amount of equipment they need to provide. For example, a 4-hour music session with a full lights show will cost more than a 2-hour stint with a basic sound system.

Magicians

Price Guide: £500 – £1100

Like comedians, magicians are best equipped to do afternoon and evening gigs – best utilised for keeping the crowd happy between courses. Acts will often ask which types of tricks you desire, with the more elaborate illusions costing more than card gags.

Solo Acts

Price Guide: £300 – £600

Solo acts are often flexible in terms of price, but costs can vary wildly depending on the type of performer you’re looking to book. It’ll often be case of equipment required and distance to travel.

Jazz Bands

Price Guide: £700 – £1500

The bigger the jazz band, the louder the performance and the greater the price – although many of the best performances are put on by big groups.

Should you negotiate on price?

With local bands for hire and amateur acts in your area, you can negotiate your way to lower prices by comparing the performers’ costs with that of their rivals. Often, local acts will be willing to trim their fees to get their hands on a gig, leaving you with several cheap choices.

But whilst booking a local band saves you money, it can also cloud your judgment. Ultimately, you end up going for the cheapest option, which isn’t necessarily the better choice. It’s true that budgeting is important, but similarly, skimping on entertainment is almost guaranteed to result in disappointment. Not least because the act is unlikely to go above and beyond if you’ve pushed them on price…

What’s more, local bands are rarely committed to their music full-time. You could fall victim to amateur issues like a band member being unable to get out of work to perform. When this happens, you’ll usually have to cancel the gig entirely, as smaller groups rarely have deputies to step in and cover. Also, if they get offered a better-paid gig elsewhere on the same night as your event, they may back out of your occasion.

Turning to talent agencies like Silk Street for events entertainment removes stress, pressure and uncertainty from the booking process, as there’s no need to haggle with the acts themselves or pit them against other performers in a pricing joust. You simply tell us the money you have available to spend, and we’ll find an available act for that date.

Every performer in our portfolio is quality-checked and guaranteed to put on a superb show, so you’ll always get your money’s worth.

How to ensure you get what you pay for

The vast majority of group acts at Silk Street are available as duos, trios, quartets or larger ensembles. This is to maintain a sense of flexibility and provide performances that fit alternative pricing structures, offering as many people as possible access to entertainment.

When making your enquiry, you may get the opportunity to see the act in action through video, but there’s no need to be alarmed if you don’t recognise the drummer or bass player when they arrive at your event. Ultimately, the act will change their line-up according to your needs and budget – with bigger spends usually equating to more performers.

This means you can get exactly what you pay for when you hire a function band or book a wedding singer with a UK music agency like Silk Street. From the moment you get in touch, feel free to make requests for particular members of the act to be present, and consider carefully how many performers you’d like on stage at any one time.

Remember, bigger budgets will secure better results. If you can show you’re serious, you’ll secure a stylish performance that pulls out all the stops.

Money talk with Silk Street

Deciding what to spend on private and corporate events entertainment is a bit of a thorny issue when you leap into the reservation procedure unprepared. Finances aren’t something you can afford to be vague about when it comes to event booking.

Here at Silk Street, we’re always happy to talk candidly about price and budgets, steering you towards quality acts that fit your occasion but don’t put you out of pocket in the process.

All you need to do is give us a call on 0800 756 5512 or send a message via our online contact form. We’ll be able to help you find a fantastic performer for your event, regardless of how much money you have to play with. Get in touch today for more information.

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How Much Does It Cost To Hire Entertainment?

The importance of setting a budget