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A Guide to the Best Birthday Party Entertainment

A guide to the best birthday party entertainment 


Whether you’re planning your own birthday party or planning a surprise for a loved one, live entertainment can shape the whole event. Birthdays are a time for fun — and nothing creates a vibrant ambience like live music.

If you’re wondering where to start with hiring a band or singer for a birthday party, our guide is on hand to offer inspiration and practical tips for an unforgettable event.

Live musicians or DJ set? 

Both live musicians and DJs make for fantastic birthday party entertainment. The choice comes down to personal preference, as each form of entertainment creates a different atmosphere. Live musicians bring an authentic, dynamic feel to the event and can provide unique takes on popular tracks.

DJs, however, can provide a wider variety of songs and can mix genres, so there’s something for everyone.

With AMV Live Music, we can give you the best of both worlds — our DJ service makes adding a DJ to your birthday party band easy. It’s the ideal setup for keeping the celebrations going!

What to consider when choosing entertainment for a birthday party

Going for live music? Whether it’s a sophisticated soiree with a soundtrack of smooth jazz, or a lively celebration packed with nostalgic tracks that everyone can dance to, consider these factors to help you find the perfect birthday party band or singer for your event.

Do you have a preferred genre?


Is there a particular music genre or style you’d like? Perhaps you’re planning a themed birthday party and want your entertainment to reflect that. Or maybe you’re setting up a surprise party for a friend and want to book a band that will play their favourite songs.

Choosing a style or genre can help you narrow down your search so that you can explore the best local talent near you.

Alternatively, you might choose an artist who can offer an eclectic mix of genres to ensure there’s something for everyone.

Who's attending?

Even though a birthday celebration puts one person in the spotlight, it’s important to choose entertainment that will appeal to as many of your guests as possible.

Will you be inviting friends who are all a similar age to you or will there be a broad mix of ages and generations? The tracks popular with a room of 18-year-olds may differ from those appreciated by guests at an 80th birthday.

Many function and party bands recognise this and are able to put their own spin on tracks from a variety of decades and genres.

When and where is your birthday party?

If you’re hiring out a pub, bar, or function room, make sure the band you book is suitable for the space and licensing.

If your party is on the smaller side, why not look at duos and trios to bring fun and vibrancy without requiring a huge stage for their equipment? The Folk Soul Bros perform fantastic 90s and noughties tracks from artists like Sheryl Crow and the Foo Fighters. They’re available to book as a duo or a full band.

It’s also worth thinking about the time of your event — is it a daytime celebration, an evening party, or a late-night affair? Daytime parties tend to call for more chilled yet upbeat entertainment, whereas high-energy rock, dance, and DJ sets best suit later events.

What's your budget?

Every artist’s fee will be different, but you can generally expect to pay per band member — so an eight-piece collective is usually more expensive to book than a trio.

To keep entertainment costs down, we recommend looking for local acts that won’t need to factor large fuel costs into their quote. With the largest selection of prestige bands, musicians and artists for hire at AMV, there is guaranteed to be an artist if you live in your area. All of our performers are based in and around the North, and you can filter by location to find artists near you:

Our top choices for live birthday party entertainment 

Need a bit of inspiration for the best bands to book? Depending on your guests and music tastes, here are a few of our favourite artists.

  • For crowd-pleasing sets with something for everyone: You can’t beat a classic party band. Acts like Nova and Wavelength perform a broad range of floor-filling tracks, each adding a unique twist to favourite songs from across the decade. There’s something for all age groups and demographics, making these bands ideal birthday party entertainment.

  • For an emo throwback: First Dates is a four-piece pop-punk band ready to bring the noughties to your birthday event — hello millennials turning 30 and 40. Expect tracks from Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Bowling For Soup, and more.

  • For a touch of Latin flair: Why not bring an international twist to your birthday celebration with a set from Los Capitanes? From Carlos Santana to Shakira, this experienced trio perform fantastic acoustic covers that will get all of your guests dancing.

  • For a night of disco, funk, and soul: Available to book as an eight-piece band, Discography is the ultimate birthday party entertainment for anyone who loves music from the 1970s.

  • For a late-night rave: If you want a really high-energy addition to your birthday party entertainment, look no further than C Collective. This group offers a mix of dance classics and floor-fillers, from Daft Punk and Faithless to The Prodigy.

Book your birthday party band or artist with AMV Live Music 

Whatever kind of entertainment you’re looking for, we’re sure you’ll find an artist to suit your party needs in our catalogue.

Booking your live entertainment with AMV Live Music is simple and straightforward. After adding artists you like to a shortlist, simply send an enquiry form with all the details of your event and any special requests. We’ll liaise with your chosen artist and get back to you with a quote. Beyond that, we’ll handle all communications so you can focus on the rest of your birthday plans!

Get in touch today to see how we can take your birthday party to the next level.