I have had a lot of queries recently regarding the amount of space needed to host your ceilidh, so I thought I would write a little post to help you plan your event and choose your venue.
How much space will the band need?
The amount of space required by the band will vary depending on which of our packages you choose. Below are the recommended performance areas for each of our line ups:
How big will the dance floor have to be?
Ceilidh dancing takes up more space than a lot of more modern forms of dancing! We would recommend a dance floor no smaller than 5m x 5m for most events. This allows enough room to have one set comfortably dancing at a time. For larger events or events that are likely to have a lot of people wanting to dance at any one time, you will need to allow for a bigger dance floor. The bigger the better really!
It is also very important to keep the dance floor free of obstacles and make sure it is a flat surface. We would normally recommend having the chairs placed around the outside of the hall, and if tables are required to have as few as possible and put them at the back of the hall. Apart from anything else, if there are lots of tables out – people will be less inclined to dance!
Indoors or Outdoors
It is entirely up to you where to host your event, and we are happy to perform anywhere that’s big enough, has a safe power supply and is dry! So if you do decide to host your event outside it is very important to have a contingency plan in case bad weather is forecast. We love performing inside venues and professionally installed marquees and would be happy to recommend some of our favourite venues, locations and marquee companies!
What will the band need from the venue?
Adequate space and one safe, standard UK plug socket… Really – that’s all.
Oh yes, and it’s worth finding out if the venue has a sound limiter and letting us know!
