For couples and their families
Music both families will enjoy - booked direct, with a contract.
Live music for a UK engagement party: which act suits both families, what a singer, a duo or a 4-piece band costs on live fees, and how to book it.
Updated 12 November 2026
GIGXCHANGE is where couples planning an engagement party book live music direct. Choose from 1,079 artists - solo singers, acoustic duos, jazz trios and party bands. Search by the date and what you can spend, play each act’s recordings together, then agree in the chat when they play around the toasts. Every booking comes with a contract. On the live GX Index a solo act at a private party is typically £363 (78 fees) and a 3 to 4 piece band £915 (540 fees). The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
An engagement party is often the first time both families are in one room. The music has a harder job than at most parties: it has to suit grandparents and school friends at once, sit under conversation while people meet, and stop cleanly for the toasts.
Most couples start by asking around, or by messaging an act they saw at someone else's do. That leaves the same gaps every time - no idea of a fair price, nothing in writing about the speeches or the finish time, and a deposit sent by bank transfer.
On GigXchange you see acts who are free on your date with their fees, listen to them together before you ask, and agree the set times around the speeches in writing. The deposit is held safely until after the party, and if the act drops out GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts nearby.
| 02Book it in five stepsFrom an idea to a booked act | |
| 03Engagement feesWhat acts charge for a private celebration | |
| 04Artists for your eventA few of the acts on GigXchange | |
| 05Members across the UKThe acts and rooms near you | |
| 06Places that host celebrationsThe venues in our directory | |
| 07The licence rulesEach with its official source | |
| 08Match the act to the celebrationWhich act suits which kind of engagement party. A solo singer suits dinner at a restaurant, an acoustic duo or jazz trio a drinks reception, and a party band a function room with space to dance. | |
| 09Before you bookThe few things to check, so the day goes the way you planned: hear them first, tell them about the place, ask about insurance cover and agree who brings the kit. | |
| 10Free tools for organisersFree tools for planning the music: the fee calculator and the contract generator, so you know what to pay and have it agreed in writing, with nothing to pay to use them. | |
| 12QuestionsWhat couples ask | |
| 13Keep exploringThe other guides and the longer reads |
| Step 01Choose the feel of the nightMusic to talk over while the families meet, or a dance once the toasts are done. Most engagement parties want the first and end with a little of the second. | |
| Step 02See who is free that eveningSign up free, then put in the date, where the party is and what you can spend - you see the solo singers, duos and bands who are free that evening, ranked, with their fees. | |
| Step 03Listen, then messagePlay their recordings together and read what other bookers said. Message the act direct to ask about songs for the toast - no agency in between. | |
| Step 04Sign the agreementEach booking produces a short written agreement - the date, when each set starts and stops around the toasts, the fee and who brings the PA - and you both sign it. | |
| Step 05Pay safely5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. The deposit sits with Stripe as a protected payment and is only released after the party. | |
| If plans changeIf the act drops outGX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked. |
What does an engagement party act cost? Live GX Index medians for private parties: £363 (78 fees) for a solo singer, £915 (540 fees) for a 3 to 4 piece and £750 (50 fees) for a band of 5 or more.
What the act charges, from the live GX Index of UK fees, set against the Musicians’ Union minimum per player. A late finish, a long drive or a PA for a big function room adds to it, so ask each act for one price that covers everything.
- Private party, solo £363 median · 78 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Private party, 3 to 4 piece £915 median · 540 observationsMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
- Private party, 5 piece or more £750 median · 50 observationsMU minimum £1,114.40
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
| GuideHiring a band: the fees explainedWhat acts charge, and why. | |
| ToolRate calculatorA fair fee for your night. | |
| DataGX IndexEvery UK fee table, open data. |
1,079 artists are on GigXchange, from solo singers and duos to party bands, string players, tribute acts and DJs. Each profile has the line-up, the sound, audio and video where the act has added it, and reviews from people who booked them.
- Listen firstPlay their audio and video before you message anyone. Two minutes tells you more than any description.Most profiles carry tracks or a live clip.
- Check the line-up and the kitHow many players, how much space they need, and whether they bring their own sound and lighting.It decides whether they fit the room.
- Read the reviewsReviews come from people who booked the act - look for events like yours.Every review is tied to a real booking.
- Ask about the setSet lengths, the songs that matter to you, and anything they will not play. Agree it in the chat.It all goes into the contract.
Sign up free as an organiser, then enter your date, the place and a budget on Find an artist - you see the acts who are free that day, ranked, with their fees. Find an artist
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide · the UK venue directory
80 venues are on GigXchange - restaurants, function rooms and pubs that host private parties. Restaurants with a private room, pubs with a function room and hotels list what they host and how many they seat. Message the venue, agree the date, and book the act in the same place. Where can you hold an engagement party with live music? A restaurant's private dining room, a pub function room, a hotel or the family home - on GigXchange you find the act, and venues list what they host.
- Juicebox@sector57
- The Fiery Bird
- Pilgrim Bar
- St Peter's Marlborough
- The Willoughby Arms
- GIG
- The Brook
- Venue38
- The Tranquil Turtle
- The Fulford Arms
- The King Arthur
- St James Park
- Firebug
- Nicholas Chamberlaine School
- The Point Events Venue
- Llangollen Town Hall
- Kettering Rugby Football Club
- The Victoria Birmingham
- Trillians Rock Bar
- The White Lion
Do you need a licence for live music at an engagement party? Not if the guests are invited and nobody pays to get in for profit. In a restaurant, pub or hotel that sells alcohol, live music is covered until 11pm while the bar is open.
| England and Wales · Licensing Act 2003, Schedule 1A private engagement party needs no entertainment licenceIf the guests are invited and nobody is charged to get in with a view to profit, the music is not licensable entertainment. Selling tickets for profit, or opening the party to the public, is what would change that. | |
| England and Wales · GOV.UKAt a restaurant or pub, the venue covers itA restaurant, pub or hotel with an alcohol licence, while its bar is open, can host live music for an audience of 500 or fewer between 8am and 11pm with no extra licence. Check what time the venue needs the music to stop. | |
| England and Wales · GOV.UKKeep the neighbours on sideYour council can act if noise becomes a statutory nuisance. Agree finish times and volume with the act in the contract. |
| Scotland and NILicensing (Scotland) Act 2005Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. | |
| ToolLicensing checkerTen questions, a plain-English verdict. | |
| ToolCompliance ChecklistEvery duty, one board. | |
| ToolMartyn's Law ReadinessReady before 2027. |
| Dinner with both familiesA singer with a guitar or keys, quiet enough to talk over. | |
| A drinks receptionA jazz trio playing standards through the drinks. | |
| A formal welcomeA string quartet for the toast and the first hour. | |
| A party that ends in dancingA party band once the speeches are done. |
| Listen togetherPlay their audio and video and read what earlier bookers said, where the act has added them. Both of you should hear them before you decide. | |
| Describe the room and the timingsA restaurant's private room, a pub function room or the family home - say which, how many guests, and when the speeches are. | |
| Check their coverRestaurants and hotels often want an act to carry public liability insurance. Members of the Musicians’ Union get it with their membership - check before you book. | |
| Agree the kitWho brings the PA, the stage space and the power - written into the contract so nobody guesses on the night. |
| Musicians' UnionWhat musicians are paid | |
| GOV.UK - Noise nuisancesHow councils deal with complaints |
| DiscoveryFind an ArtistRanked acts for your dates | |
| ContractsBooking ContractsUK-compliant and e-signed, on every booking | |
| ComplianceLicensing CheckerMusic licences, decoded | |
| CoverGX Gig RescueFill a dropout, fast |
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage, the members app organisers book in: find the act, agree the date and fee in the chat, keep the booking in one place. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 04 Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04 Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04 Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04 Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboardThe moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the sceneFind the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to endOffer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
MessagingAgree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
| Live Music for a WeddingCeremony, drinks, meal and evening - what to book. | |
| Live Music for a Birthday PartyA band or a singer for a 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th. | |
| Live Music for a Charity EventMusic for a ball, a gala, a fundraiser or a fun day. | |
| Live Music for a Christmas PartyThe office party or the family do - book it before December fills. | |
| Live Music for a Community EventA fete, fair, fun day or street party. | |
| Live Music for a Garden PartyA band or singer at home - space, power and neighbours. | |
| Hire a string quartetFor the toast and the first hour. | |
| Hire a solo actQuiet enough to talk over. | |
| Hire a jazz bandStandards through the drinks. | |
| All the event guidesGuides for every kind of occasion. | |
| GigXchange for organisersEverything an organiser account does. | |
| If the act cancels |
| How cancellations work | |
| The booking fee | |
| What should we pay? |
Live music for an engagement party
Live music for a UK engagement party: which act suits both families, what a singer, a duo or a 4-piece band costs on live fees, and how to book it.
Last updated: 12 November 2026
Where to Book Engagement Party Music
GIGXCHANGE is where couples planning an engagement party book live music direct. Choose from 1,079 artists - solo singers, acoustic duos, jazz trios and party bands. Search by the date and what you can spend, play each act’s recordings together, then agree in the chat when they play around the toasts. Every booking comes with a contract. On the live GX Index a solo act at a private party is typically £363 (78 fees) and a 3 to 4 piece band £915 (540 fees). The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
An engagement party is often the first time both families are in one room. The music has a harder job than at most parties: it has to suit grandparents and school friends at once, sit under conversation while people meet, and stop cleanly for the toasts.
Most couples start by asking around, or by messaging an act they saw at someone else's do. That leaves the same gaps every time - no idea of a fair price, nothing in writing about the speeches or the finish time, and a deposit sent by bank transfer.
On GigXchange you see acts who are free on your date with their fees, listen to them together before you ask, and agree the set times around the speeches in writing. The deposit is held safely until after the party, and if the act drops out GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts nearby.
Book it in five steps
You do not need to know anything about music - just what the day needs. Each step below says what you decide, what the act handles and what is agreed in writing.
Choose the feel of the night
Music to talk over while the families meet, or a dance once the toasts are done. Most engagement parties want the first and end with a little of the second.
See who is free that evening
Sign up free, then put in the date, where the party is and what you can spend - you see the solo singers, duos and bands who are free that evening, ranked, with their fees.
Listen, then message
Play their recordings together and read what other bookers said. Message the act direct to ask about songs for the toast - no agency in between.
Sign the agreement
Each booking produces a short written agreement - the date, when each set starts and stops around the toasts, the fee and who brings the PA - and you both sign it.
Pay safely
5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. The deposit sits with Stripe as a protected payment and is only released after the party.
If the act drops out
GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked.
Engagement fees, live
What the act charges, from the live GX Index of UK fees, set against the Musicians’ Union minimum per player. A late finish, a long drive or a PA for a big function room adds to it, so ask each act for one price that covers everything.
What does an engagement party act cost? Live GX Index medians for private parties: £363 (78 fees) for a solo singer, £915 (540 fees) for a 3 to 4 piece and £750 (50 fees) for a band of 5 or more.
- Private party, solo £363 median · 78 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Private party, 3 to 4 piece £915 median · 540 observationsMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
- Private party, 5 piece or more £750 median · 50 observationsMU minimum £1,114.40
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. Hiring a band: the fees explained · Work out a fair fee · Every GX Index fee table · The Musicians’ Union national gig rates
Find Your Act
Every act on GigXchange, in one place. Pick a date to see who is free, then ask up to six at once - no sign-up first.
1,080 artists are on GigXchange, from solo singers and duos to party bands, string players, tribute acts and DJs. Each profile has the line-up, the sound, audio and video where the act has added it, and reviews from people who booked them.
- Listen firstPlay their audio and video before you message anyone. Two minutes tells you more than any description.Most profiles carry tracks or a live clip.
- Check the line-up and the kitHow many players, how much space they need, and whether they bring their own sound and lighting.It decides whether they fit the room.
- Read the reviewsReviews come from people who booked the act - look for events like yours.Every review is tied to a real booking.
- Ask about the setSet lengths, the songs that matter to you, and anything they will not play. Agree it in the chat.It all goes into the contract.
Members across the UK
Artists and venues on GigXchange, by city - the acts and rooms near you. Tap a city to see the acts and venues listed there today.
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking live music in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide
Places that host celebrations
80 venues are on GigXchange - restaurants, function rooms and pubs that host private parties. Restaurants with a private room, pubs with a function room and hotels list what they host and how many they seat. Message the venue, agree the date, and book the act in the same place. Where can you hold an engagement party with live music? A restaurant's private dining room, a pub function room, a hotel or the family home - on GigXchange you find the act, and venues list what they host.
Venues you can hire for an event · What an organiser account does · Join as an organiser
The licence rules
Most engagement parties need no paperwork for the music at all. The rules below show why, each with its official source: invited guests only, the venue’s own licence, and keeping the neighbours on side. Selling tickets for profit is the one thing that would change it. Checked 10 November 2026.
Do you need a licence for live music at an engagement party? Not if the guests are invited and nobody pays to get in for profit. In a restaurant, pub or hotel that sells alcohol, live music is covered until 11pm while the bar is open.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Not sure which applies? Licensing checker · Compliance checklist · Martyn’s Law check
Match the act to the celebration
Which act suits which kind of engagement party. A solo singer suits dinner at a restaurant, an acoustic duo or jazz trio a drinks reception, and a party band a function room with space to dance.
Dinner with both families
A singer with a guitar or keys, quiet enough to talk over.
A drinks reception
A jazz trio playing standards through the drinks.
A formal welcome
A string quartet for the toast and the first hour.
A party that ends in dancing
A party band once the speeches are done.
Before you book
The few things to check, so the day goes the way you planned: hear them first, tell them about the place, ask about insurance cover and agree who brings the kit.
Where the rules come from: Musicians' Union · GOV.UK - Noise nuisances
Free tools for organisers
Free tools for planning the music: the fee calculator and the contract generator, so you know what to pay and have it agreed in writing, with nothing to pay to use them.
Find an Artist
Pick the empty date, set a 60-second brief, and invite up to 5 ranked best-fit acts — fit scores, fee bands and kit tags attached.
Booking Contracts
Every GigXchange booking auto-generates a UK-compliant performance contract — 8 standard clauses, deposit terms, dual e-signatures, instant PDF.
Licensing Checker
Ten plain-English questions produce a two-part verdict — permission and copyright — with an indicative cost and official gov.uk / PPL PRS sources.
GX Gig Rescue
Broadcast an urgent booking invite to up to 25 available acts near you — last-minute specialists first, first to accept is booked.
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage, the members app organisers book in: find the act, agree the date and fee in the chat, keep the booking in one place. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
Live music for an engagement party FAQ
What couples ask.
More answers: How cancellations work · The booking fee · What should we pay?
Your event, booked
Join free and book the act direct. Post the date, see who replies, and keep the contract, deposit and every message in one place until the day.