Hiring Cover Bands in Sydney - Prices and Videos
There are 435 cover bands on Entertainers for Hire in Sydney. This guide gathers what they have published about themselves, so you can narrow the field before asking anyone for a quote.
Start with the line-up
Size shapes almost everything else: how full the sound is, how much floor you give up, and what you pay. Among the Sydney cover bands that give a size, the one you will see most is 5 people.
| Size | Where it works | Acts |
|---|---|---|
| 5 people | A typical reception or function room | 35 |
| 4 people | A typical reception or function room | 32 |
| 6 people | Big rooms where the goal is a packed dance floor | 28 |
| 3 people | Background music, ceremonies and compact spaces | 15 |
| 7 people | Big rooms where the goal is a packed dance floor | 10 |
What it costs in Sydney
39 of the Sydney cover bands list a guide price. The one in the middle asks $1,400. Half of them sit between $600 and $2,000, and the whole spread runs from $300 to $5,000.
| Price point | From |
|---|---|
| Lower end | $600 |
| Middle | $1,400 |
| Upper end | $2,000 |
Where to start your shortlist
These have filled in the most detail, from biography and line-up to songs and price. That is the only order used here. It says nothing about who plays best.
Bandcamp 90's & 00's
Blind Monkey
British Rockshow - a tribute to the golden era
Matchbox
By type, Sydney has 248 cover bands, 146 tribute bands and 41 bands in this listing. Home bases include Sydney, Sydney Olympic Park.
Watch before you shortlist
271 of the Sydney cover bands have a performance video on their page. A minute of real footage tells you more about how an act sounds and holds a room than any written description. A few to start with:
Songs Sydney crowds hear most
Counted across 262 set lists from Sydney cover bands. It shows what a local crowd is likely to know, and gives you somewhere to begin your own must-play and please-skip lists.
| Song | Set lists |
|---|---|
| Blame It On The Boogie | 42 |
| I Will Survive | 42 |
| Moves Like Jagger | 42 |
| Play That Funky Music | 40 |
| Dancing Queen | 38 |
| Summer Of 69 | 37 |
| April Sun In Cuba | 36 |
| Crazy Little Thing Called Love | 30 |
| Get Lucky | 29 |
| Run To Paradise | 29 |
| Locked Out Of Heaven | 29 |
| Brown Eyed Girl | 29 |
Events outside Sydney
78 of the 435 cover bands here say how far they will go. 39 cover 200 km or more, some anywhere in the state or the country. 17 go somewhere between 50 and 200 km, and 22 stay within 50 km. For a venue out of town, name it in your enquiry: travel and a night's accommodation usually go on the quote.
Paperwork your venue may ask for
Venues often want to see public liability insurance, and anything involving children usually needs a Working With Children Check. In Sydney, 39 list public liability insurance.
Before you book
Cover bands in Sydney: common questions
What should I budget for a cover band in Sydney?
Half of the 39 cover bands here that list a guide price sit between $600 and $2,000, and the figure in the middle is $1,400. Treat that as a starting point, not a quote. Your date, the hours you need and the size of the line-up move it, so ask each act to price your actual night.
Can I see a cover band perform before I book?
Yes, for 271 of them. Their pages have a performance video you can play, which tells you more about how they sound and look in a room than any description can.
Will a Sydney cover band travel to a regional venue?
Many will. 78 of the cover bands listed here say how far they go, and 39 of those cover 200 km or more. Mention the venue when you enquire, because travel and accommodation usually get added to the quote.
How big should the line-up be?
In Sydney the most common size is 5 people. Go smaller for a ceremony, dinner or a tight room, and bigger when the goal is a full dance floor in a large venue.
What happens once I send an enquiry?
Each act you picked replies with a written quote for your date. Put them side by side, check what each one includes, then decide. Enquiring costs nothing and you are not committed to anyone.