Live entertainment for festivals and venues
Looking for live entertainment for festivals, venues or public events? Sound Choice brings together carefully selected professional acts that know how to perform in front of a crowd.
From high-energy live bands and interactive shows to established tribute acts, discover performers for festival stages, music venues, theatres and other ticketed events across the UK.
Watch the acts perform, explore their shows and find the entertainment that fits your audience, stage and event.
Finding the right live entertainment for festivals
Festival entertainment has to work quickly. Audiences may be discovering an act for the first time, so performers need to capture their attention and create an atmosphere from the moment they step onto the stage.
Think about where the act will appear in your programme and what you need them to achieve. A high-energy party band can bring a broad audience together, an interactive act can turn a crowd into part of the performance, while a tribute show can give festival-goers an immediately recognisable reason to head towards the stage.
Our guide to choosing the right live band for your event covers some of the other things worth considering.
Live bands for festivals
A great festival band needs more than a strong set list. Stage presence, experience and the ability to connect with an unfamiliar audience all matter.
Depending on your event, you might want a versatile live band that appeals to a wide range of people or something with a stronger identity that gives your programme a distinctive feature.
Watch each act's videos and consider how the performance would translate to your particular stage and audience.
If you're looking for a high-energy performance with broad audience appeal, explore our party bands.
Tribute acts for festivals and venues
Tribute acts can be particularly effective for festivals, theatres and music venues because audiences immediately understand what they're being offered.
The best tribute shows go far beyond simply playing familiar songs. Musicianship, production, appearance and attention to the original artist's live performances can turn a recognisable catalogue into a compelling show in its own right.
They can work as part of a wider festival programme or as standalone ticketed shows for venues looking to build their live entertainment calendar.
Explore our tribute bands and live tribute shows to discover productions celebrating some of the world's biggest artists.
Interactive entertainment for festivals
Interactive acts can create a very different relationship between the stage and the audience.
Rather than simply watching a performance, festival-goers might make requests, influence what happens next or become part of the show themselves.
This can work particularly well at events where creating a shared experience and encouraging audience participation are important parts of the day.
Discover more interactive bands if you'd like the audience to influence or become part of the performance.
Live entertainment for music venues and theatres
If you run a music venue or theatre, finding the right act is about more than filling a date in the calendar. The show needs to give audiences a reason to buy a ticket.
Sound Choice features performers that can work in public venues as well as private events. This includes tribute productions, specialist shows and established live acts with the experience to deliver a complete performance.
When making an enquiry, tell us about your venue, capacity, audience and the kind of shows that already work well for you. That context can help establish whether an act is a good fit.
Production and technical requirements
Festival and venue bookings often involve an existing production team, PA system and lighting setup. Professional acts should be able to provide the technical information needed to integrate their show with your production.
Requirements vary between performers. These might include stage dimensions, power, audio inputs, monitoring, lighting, video or specific changeover arrangements.
Sharing technical information early helps both the act and your production team prepare properly for the performance.
Festival changeovers and performance times
A festival stage can involve several acts performing in quick succession, so changeover time matters.
If you're working to a tight schedule, include that information when making an enquiry. Some acts can adapt their setup for short festival changeovers, particularly where backline or production equipment is already provided.
Performance lengths can also vary. Tell the act whether you're looking for a short festival set, a headline performance or a complete evening show so the right format can be discussed from the outset.
How much does live entertainment for festivals cost?
The cost of live entertainment for festivals depends on the performer and the requirements of the event.
Performance length, travel, production, timings and accommodation can all affect the final price. Existing festival production may also change what an act needs to provide themselves.
Prices displayed on Sound Choice give you an indicative starting point. Our frequently asked questions explain more about pricing and enquiries.
Find live entertainment for festivals and venues
Explore the performers below and watch their videos to see which acts could work for your audience. Each artist page includes information about the performance and indicative pricing to help you build a shortlist.
When you've found an act you're interested in, make an enquiry from their artist page with your date, venue, expected audience and any production information you already have. You can also read how Sound Choice works to find out what happens next.
