No, whatever your age or dancing ability ... even if you have two left feet, is perfectly ok! No experience is necessary as everyone will be taken through the dances by the caller before they are put to the music.

Yes, all dances will be taught in a fun and friendly style and tailored to suit any audience by our experienced caller.

There is no upper limit. The dance floor size may be a limiting factor but we would normally expect groups of 30+ as a minimum to ensure enough to make it go smoothly. We have done them with much less in the past!

We predominantly do ceilidh dances from Scotland, but we also do some from Ireland and Cornwall. They are generally long way sets, square sets, processional or circle dances. Some popular ones we do include Riverside Jig, Strip The Willow, Virginia Reel, Borrowdale Exchange, Dashing White Sargeant, Cumberland Square 8 and Gay Gordons to name a few.

We have played at countless ceilidhs where the majority of the guests have never heard of a ceilidh let alone participated at one. We will get them up and they will end the evening changed people! Ceilidhs or Barn Dances are the perfect ice breaker at any event and a very easy and fun way to interact and socialise with others. Look at our Testimonials page to see how other people felt after they booked us for their event.

The larger the dance floor the better but we usually recommend a minimum of 5 meters squared. Small spaces just limit the number of people that can join in and adequate space needed for certain types of dances. Smooth, hard dance surfaces are the best to avoid the risk of tripping over.

We generally play upbeat jigs and reels for the dancing. We may throw in the odd waltz too!

Our core musician line-up is accordion and guitar. This line-up alone provides a very full and high energy sound. We have a fiddler available as a 3rd musician and can add a 4th bodhran player for the full Brim Ceilidh Big Band experience. There will inevitably be an increase in costs with more musicians in the line-up. Sometimes, our regular musicians may already be committed elsewhere at the time of your enquiry. We do work with other very experienced musicians on the ceilidh and folk music scene who do stand in from time-to-time to ensure we can be available for your event. We will let you know at the time of your enquiry if this is the case so this is clear, should you wish to proceed with the booking. This will not compromise the level of service provided and we will always provide a high quality and professional service from enquiry right through to the end of your event. The Brim Ceilidh Big Band ...

We can fit into some fairly tight spaces so wouldn't worry too much about that. If you have any doubts about space, please just let us know and we can work around it.

We will certainly be happy to do specific requests regarding any ceilidh dances or tunes e.g. for a first dance. We do not specialise in playing mainstream tunes but happy to support any specific requests where possible.

We are happy to provide 'live' ambient background music in addition to the ceilidh. This can either be acoustic or lightly through the PA system. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail.

Yes, we provide a full PA system and side-of-stage lighting. Our PA includes 2x 15 inch 1000w Active EV Speakers on stands, 1 foldback monitor , 1 Allen and Heath mixing desk and some LED dynamic stage lighting to add to the ambience.

We usually request an hour to load in, setup and sound check prior to the event. It is possible to set up in less time but to maximise the quality of the performance, we usually request an hour to allow us time to do this properly. We can arrive earlier in the day to avoid any conflicts with your wedding or event although there may be a charge for being on-site early.

We provide a background playlist over our PA system prior to the event and during the break to maintain an atmosphere for the guests. We can also leave our sound equipment set up after the ceilidh finishes if you would like to use it to play your own music in a DJ style. There will be a cost per hour for the use of the PA.

After your initial enquiry, we will provide you with a quote. We will be happy to chat and tailor the quote to your specific requirements as the price will depend on several factors. e.g. distance, duration, band size, day of the week etc. If you wish to proceed with the booking, we will email you a 'booking form' for you to complete with the details of your event. We will acknowledge receipt of this and if there are no further queries, this will act as the agreement and confirmation of the booking. As we get closer to the event date, we will get in touch with you to check everything is still as originally agreed.

Yes, we work with a local DJs who can cater for either smaller intimate events or larger events. We find this offers a great combined package and keeps things simple as we will work together to help make your evening run smoothly depending on how you want it to run.

Our ceilidhs are normally 2 hours with a 20-30 minute break in the middle i.e. 1 hour per half. This can be shortened or extended but we usually find this is the most popular length and format.

With like most things, you get what you pay for and with ceilidh and barn dance bands, these are no exception. We are not the cheapest out there but this is reflected in the quality of service we offer. Our musicians and caller all have extensive backgrounds throughout the ceilidh, folk music and dance scene both locally and nationally and we pride ourselves on our professionalism and reputation as a ceilidh band. As a rough guide we can charge anywhere between £500 to £1,200 depending on location, number of musicians, time of year etc. There are many variables that determine the cost which is why we advise you contact us to discuss your event so we can tailor a bespoke package and price to suit your individual requirements.

Yes, we are fully covered and can produce a certificate if required.

This is not uncommon. If you know this in advance, we can usually adjust and find time to work around this. If it happens on the day, there may be a charge to offset other changes and commitments. We will always do our best to accommodate as we recognise circumstances can change.