London's folk-rock ceilidh band

The ceilidh band everyone dances to

The Sassenachs are a London-based ceilidh band for weddings, barn dances and corporate events. Fiddle, flute and guitar up front, with bass and drums driving the floor. Our caller teaches every dance, so no one needs experience. Based in London, playing across the UK and abroad.

Ceilidh pronounced kay-lee

Check your date What is a ceilidh?

500+Events played

20+Years calling

★★★★★Rated by clients

"Absolutely brilliant. Couldn't recommend them enough." Hannah Simmonds, wedding 2025

What we do

A full dance floor, from the first reel

A ceilidh is a lively, caller-led folk dance from the Scottish, Irish and English traditions. We play it with the warmth of a folk band and the drive of a rock rhythm section. Grandparents, children and colleagues all end up on the same floor.

A packed public ceilidh, dancers in tartan with arms raised

01

Live ceilidh music

Reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas and waltzes. Played live, tight and loud enough to dance to.
02

An expert caller

Laurie Don has been calling for more than 20 years. He walks everyone through each dance before the music starts. No experience needed.
03

A rock rhythm section

Bass guitar and drums give the dance floor the energy of a live gig, while the tunes stay true to the tradition.
04

A line-up built for your event

The full band for a grand reception, or a smaller line-up for an intimate party. We pace the night to your crowd, venue and budget.

Wedding guests dancing a ceilidh in a grand hall with an organ

Weddings

The part of the night your guests talk about

A ceilidh is the most inclusive wedding entertainment there is. We handle everything from sound check to the last reel. You just enjoy the night.

Professional caller
Full PA system included
Ceremony music
Full band or smaller line-ups
Public liability insurance

Wedding packages

Weddings✦ Corporate Events✦ Festivals✦ Private Parties✦ London, UK & Abroad✦ 500+ Events✦ Fully Insured✦ Expert Caller✦ Weddings✦ Corporate Events✦ Festivals✦ Private Parties✦ London, UK & Abroad✦ 500+ Events✦ Fully Insured✦ Expert Caller✦

The Sassenachs on stage in kilts with fiddle, guitar and flute — The Sassenachs, live

The band

Folk heart. Rock backbone.

A collective of experienced London musicians who have played together for over a decade. We have played the London Ceilidh Club every month for ten years, and travel every year to Ethiopia to play for the British Embassy.

Folk frontline

Fiddle
Flute & whistles
Acoustic guitar

Rock backline

Bass guitar
Full drum kit

On the mic

Laurie Don, caller

Meet the band

Testimonials

What our clients say

5.0 on Google from 360+ reviews

★★★★★

"We hired The Sassenachs for our wedding, and it was the best decision! We had an amazing time, we heard from a lot of our guests that they had a lot of fun dancing (including people from abroad, who were not familiar with ceilidh). Laurie did a brilliant job bringing people in to dance and the band created such an amazing, fun atmosphere, we couldn't have asked for anything better."

Agnes Incze

Wedding · 2026

★★★★★

"Half of our guests knew what they were doing as Scots, however the other half had never been to a Ceilidh before - this did not matter at all as Laurie (the caller of the band) was absolutely fantastic at teaching the dances… This was definitely the highlight of our wedding and what all our guests remember most from the day."

Katharine Reynolds

Wedding · 2018

Read all testimonials