Live music for boat parties & river cruises
Live music for your boat
Boat parties, river cruises and dinner sailings - post the date free, hear the act, sign the contract.
Book bands and musicians for boat parties, river cruises and dinner cruises direct. Sets that fit the sailing, the licence rules and a contract on each.
Updated 23 October 2026
01 — Live music for boats
Where Boat Parties Book Live Music
GIGXCHANGE is where UK boat operators and private hirers book bands and musicians direct. 982 artists are on the platform, from party bands to dinner-cruise duos, alongside 70 venues across 79 cities. An operator or a private hirer posts the sailing free, hears each act first, agrees the sets and the fee in the chat and signs a contract on each booking. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
Live music on a boat is a different booking. The act boards at a fixed time, plays to the length of the sailing, works in a small space with limited power, and cannot leave early or arrive late - the boat goes when it goes.
That is why boat operators stick with the few acts they know, and why a private party on a river cruise can go wrong when nobody told the band about the boarding time.
On GigXchange the sailing is the brief: boarding time, set lengths, space and power are agreed in writing in the contract, and the act is heard before anyone books. There is no boat-party fee in the GX Index yet, so we do not quote one - the gig rate calculator helps set a budget, and every booking is contracted.
| 02Book live music in five stepsFrom an empty date to a signed booking | |
| 03Boat party feesSet a fair budget before you post | |
| 04Venues that host live musicThe venues in our directory | |
| 05Members across the UKThe acts and rooms near you | |
| 06The licence rulesEach with its official source | |
| 07Sailings that workFour ways boats use live music, from a dinner cruise to a New Year’s Eve party. | |
| 08Choosing the right actWhat to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned. | |
| 09Free tools for your boatFree with a venue account. | |
| 11QuestionsWhat boat operators ask before they book | |
| 12Keep exploringThe other guides and the longer reads |
02 — Book an act
5 stepsBook in five steps
| Step 01Post your gig, freeAdd the date, your budget, the genres you want and your house kit in about two minutes. Acts apply to you - or browse and invite them yourself. | |
| Step 02Hear them before you bookAct profiles carry the audio, video and reviews the act has added, so you can judge them before you ask. | |
| Step 03Agree it in the chatMessage the act directly, settle the fee, sets and kit, and the offer lands in the same thread. | |
| Step 04Sign the contractEvery booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail. | |
| Step 05Pay the act5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. A protected payment holds the deposit with Stripe and releases it after the gig. | |
| If plans changeIf the act drops outGX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked. |
03 — Boat party fees
The price ladder
What does a band for a boat party cost? There is no boat-party figure in the GX Index yet, so we do not quote one - set a budget for the act and the sailing with the gig rate calculator, then agree the fee with the act.
There is no GX Index figure for boat bookings yet. We publish one once enough boat fees exist - until then, never a pub or party figure in its place.
Use the gig rate calculator to set a budget for the act and the length of the sailing, see every UK fee table on GX Index rates, and agree the fee with the act in the chat. GigXchange takes 0% of the artist's booking fee.
| Gig rate calculator | |
| GX Index rates |
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
| GuideHow far ahead to bookLead times by event type. | |
| ToolRate calculatorA fair fee for your night. | |
| DataGX IndexThe latest figures are unavailable here right now - the full tables. |
04 — On GigXchange
70 venuesVenues that host live music
70 venues are on GigXchange - rooms and stages across the UK, from a dinner set to a party night. Joining is free: list your boat, post a gig and message acts at no cost. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately, and every booking comes with a contract you both sign. Where can a boat operator book live music in the UK? On GigXchange, an operator or a private hirer posts the sailing free - a boat party, a river cruise or a dinner cruise - hears the acts and books one direct, with a contract on every booking.
05 — Members across the UK
Tap a cityActs near your boat
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
06 — The licence rules
Checked 20 October 2026What you need
Does a boat need a licence for live music? In England and Wales the Licensing Act treats a boat as premises - one that sails is treated as premises where it is usually moored - so a boat licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence for live music between 8am and 11pm for 500 people or fewer, with the bar open (GOV.UK s182 guidance).
| England and WalesA boat counts as premisesThe Licensing Act applies to vessels, ships and boats included, as if they were premises. A boat that is not permanently moored is treated as premises where it is usually moored or berthed - that council licenses it. | |
| England and WalesLicensed bar, 8am to 11pmOn a boat licensed to sell alcohol, amplified live music needs no entertainment licence between 8am and 11pm, to an audience of 500 or fewer - while the bar is open for the sale of alcohol. | |
| England and WalesPrivate hire sailingsA party for invited guests is not licensable unless guests are charged for the entertainment to make a profit. Paying the musicians does not change that. | |
| England and WalesNew Year’s Eve past 11pmLive music after 11pm needs the premises licence to cover it, or a temporary events notice for a one-off event of fewer than 500 people, crew included, served at least 10 clear working days before. | |
| UKYou still need TheMusicLicenceThat is permission to hold the event, not copyright. Playing or performing music in public needs a music licence from PPL PRS. | |
| England and WalesKeep 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. |
07 — Sailings that work
Pick your sailing
| Party boatsA party or function band for a private-hire sailing. The act cannot leave until you dock, so the sets are the sailing - agree them in the contract. | |
| Dinner cruisesA jazz duo or trio at low volume while guests eat. Agree the volume and the set lengths up front. | |
| Christmas and New Year sailingsDecember dates go first - our lead-time guide says book Christmas by September. Past 11pm needs the licence or a TEN. | |
| Season of public sailingsThe same act on the same evening sailings through the summer. Post the run of dates once and agree each night in the contract. |
08 — Choosing the act
Before you book
| Hear the real thingAudio, video and two-way reviews on profiles, where the act has added them - venues review acts and acts review venues. | |
| Agree power and load-onWho supplies the power on board, how much the act may draw, and when it loads on before sailing - written into the contract. | |
| Fit the stage and the soundA small deck stage and an open deck change the act you need - check the line-up, the footprint and whether it brings a PA. | |
| Ask about coverMany venues ask acts for public liability insurance. Musicians’ Union members are covered to £10 million each with their membership. |
| Musicians' UnionNational gig rates | |
| Port of London AuthorityThe authority for the tidal Thames | |
| Passenger Boats AssociationThe association for passenger boat operators (British Marine) |
09 — Free tools
7 toolsFor your boat
| BookingPost a GigArtists apply to you | |
| CoverGX Gig RescueFill a dropout, fast | |
| ComplianceLicensing CheckerMusic licences, decoded | |
| ComplianceCompliance ChecklistEvery duty, one board | |
| ComplianceMartyn's Law ReadinessReady before 2027 | |
| PromotionEvents PosterYour what’s-on, in one click | |
| DiscoveryFind an ArtistRanked acts for your dates |
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage — the members app where artists, venues, agents and promoters manage bookings, messaging, events and payments. 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.
11 — Questions9 answersLive music for boats FAQ
12 — Keep exploring
Go deeper
| Live Music for PubsPub fees and the licence rules. | |
| Live Music for HotelsBar, wedding and corporate fees, and the rules. | |
| Live Music for Care HomesDaytime formats and the licence rules. | |
| Live Music for ClubsClub nights and the certificate rules. | |
| Live Music for Holiday ParksSeason bookings and the rules. | |
| Hire a party bandWhat to ask before you book. | |
| Hire a jazz bandFor dinners and quieter sets. | |
| Find an artistRanked acts for your date and budget. | |
| Gig rate calculatorA fair fee for your set length. | |
| GigXchange for venuesEverything a venue account does. |
| How cancellations work | |
| The booking fee | |
| Gig rate calculator | |
| How far ahead to book |
Live music for your boat
Book bands and musicians for boat parties, river cruises and dinner cruises direct. Sets that fit the sailing, the licence rules and a contract on each.
Last updated: 23 October 2026
Where Boat Parties Book Live Music
GIGXCHANGE is where UK boat operators and private hirers book bands and musicians direct. 982 artists are on the platform, from party bands to dinner-cruise duos, alongside 70 venues across 79 cities. An operator or a private hirer posts the sailing free, hears each act first, agrees the sets and the fee in the chat and signs a contract on each booking. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
Live music on a boat is a different booking. The act boards at a fixed time, plays to the length of the sailing, works in a small space with limited power, and cannot leave early or arrive late - the boat goes when it goes.
That is why boat operators stick with the few acts they know, and why a private party on a river cruise can go wrong when nobody told the band about the boarding time.
On GigXchange the sailing is the brief: boarding time, set lengths, space and power are agreed in writing in the contract, and the act is heard before anyone books. There is no boat-party fee in the GX Index yet, so we do not quote one - the gig rate calculator helps set a budget, and every booking is contracted.
Book live music in five steps
From an empty date to a signed booking, without an agency. The full walkthrough is the booking journey.
Post your gig, free
Add the date, your budget, the genres you want and your house kit in about two minutes. Acts apply to you - or browse and invite them yourself.
Hear them before you book
Act profiles carry the audio, video and reviews the act has added, so you can judge them before you ask.
Agree it in the chat
Message the act directly, settle the fee, sets and kit, and the offer lands in the same thread.
Sign the contract
Every booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail.
Pay the act
5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. A protected payment holds the deposit with Stripe and releases it after the gig.
If the act drops out
GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked.
Setting the budget
There is no GX Index figure for boat bookings yet. We publish one once enough boat fees exist - until then, never a pub or party figure in its place.
What does a band for a boat party cost? There is no boat-party figure in the GX Index yet, so we do not quote one - set a budget for the act and the sailing with the gig rate calculator, then agree the fee with the act.
Use the gig rate calculator to set a budget for the act and the length of the sailing, see every UK fee table on GX Index rates, and agree the fee with the act in the chat. GigXchange takes 0% of the artist's booking fee.
Gig rate calculator · GX Index rates
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. How far ahead to book · Work out a fee for your boat · Every GX Index fee table · The Musicians’ Union national gig rates
Venues that host live music
70 venues are on GigXchange - rooms and stages across the UK, from a dinner set to a party night. Joining is free: list your boat, post a gig and message acts at no cost. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately, and every booking comes with a contract you both sign. Where can a boat operator book live music in the UK? On GigXchange, an operator or a private hirer posts the sailing free - a boat party, a river cruise or a dinner cruise - hears the acts and books one direct, with a contract on every booking.
Browse the UK venue directory · What a venue account does · List your boat free
Members across the UK
Artists, venues, agents and promoters on GigXchange, by city - the acts you can book near your boat.
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
The licence rules
The rules a boat meets, each with the official page it comes from. Checked 20 October 2026.
Does a boat need a licence for live music? In England and Wales the Licensing Act treats a boat as premises - one that sails is treated as premises where it is usually moored - so a boat licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence for live music between 8am and 11pm for 500 people or fewer, with the bar open (GOV.UK s182 guidance).
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
Sailings that work
Four ways boats use live music, from a dinner cruise to a New Year’s Eve party.
Party boats
A party or function band for a private-hire sailing. The act cannot leave until you dock, so the sets are the sailing - agree them in the contract.
Dinner cruises
A jazz duo or trio at low volume while guests eat. Agree the volume and the set lengths up front.
Christmas and New Year sailings
December dates go first - our lead-time guide says book Christmas by September. Past 11pm needs the licence or a TEN.
Season of public sailings
The same act on the same evening sailings through the summer. Post the run of dates once and agree each night in the contract.
Choosing the right act
What to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned.
The organisations behind music on the water: Musicians' Union · Port of London Authority · Passenger Boats Association
Free tools for your boat
Free with a venue account.
Post a Gig
List an open slot in two minutes — genres, budget, house kit — and take applications from gig-ready artists with verified reviews attached.
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.
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.
Compliance Checklist
Eight questions build a checklist of only the duties your venue owes — ten areas, law first, every item linked to its official source, PDF export.
Martyn's Law Readiness
The 2025 Act reaches every 200+ venue from ~2027. Six questions give your tier, your duties as a tickable list, and a first-draft procedures PDF.
Events Poster
Your upcoming programme becomes a designed poster — ticket QRs on every listing, status badges, your branding. Print, post or publish to your profile.
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.
Also free: a booking contract generator · a gig rate calculator · act outreach templates
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage, the members app your boat books in: find the acts, agree the date and fee in the chat, track every booking. 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 boats FAQ
What boat operators ask before they book.
More answers: How cancellations work · The booking fee · Gig rate calculator · How far ahead to book
Your next night, booked
Post a gig free and book the act direct.