HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a pianist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Pianists need no licence in the UK. Here is how to sort the instrument, what to ask and what the quote must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a pianist in five steps

  1. Decide whose pianoThe venue's acoustic piano if it is tuned and available, or the pianist's digital piano. Ask the venue first.
  2. Arrange tuningIf using the venue's piano, agree who books and pays for a tuning before the day.
  3. Plan accessA stage piano and amplifier still need parking, a lift or a short carry.
  4. Pick the key momentsEntrance, first dance, a favourite piece. Give the pianist the list early.
  5. Put it in writingTimes, pieces, instrument, travel and what happens if the pianist is ill.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nobody licenses pianists in any of the four UK nations, and the law asks for no training or qualification. Grades and music degrees are common but not required by law; live recordings and recent hosts are your evidence.

Ask the pianist for references from the last few months and read the written terms before paying.

Music licence and event licensing where the pianist plays

Live or recorded music played in public needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, which replaced the separate PRS and PPL licences; playing without one infringes copyright and can lead to a claim for damages. At a hotel, pub or licensed function room the venue normally holds it, so the pianist does not need their own. In England and Wales, music or dancing at a place with no premises licence is a licensable activity and needs a Temporary Event Notice: under 500 people, given to the council at least 10 clear working days before. In Northern Ireland, live entertainment indoors, and open-air music on private land, needs a district council entertainment licence whoever performs; staging indoor entertainment without one risks a fine of up to £20,000. In Scotland, ask the venue or council what the event needs before the pianist is booked.

Ask the venue whether it holds TheMusicLicence before anyone charges you for one for the pianist. Ask the venue whether it is licensed for live entertainment, or who will give the notice or hold the licence for the pianist's performance. gov.uk →

Safe electrics and insurance for the pianist

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that could cause injury — the pianist's any digital piano, amplifier and microphone included — to be kept safe, though HSE says they do not make yearly PAT testing a legal duty. Venues often ask for a recent PAT record on any digital piano, amplifier and microphone and for public liability insurance anyway, at a level they set.

Ask the venue what it needs, then ask the pianist for the PAT record and the insurance certificate. hse.gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation terms

Booking a pianist who does this for a living means dealing with a trader: the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies, including the duty of reasonable care and skill. What usually does not apply is a cooling-off period — regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 takes services for leisure activities or catering on a fixed date outside it — so read how the pianist handles cancellation and deposits.

Get the pianist's terms on cancellation, date changes and illness on one page before you commit. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Piano playing at an event is standard-rated at 20% when the pianist is registered. Pianists whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line on the quote and invoice.

Ask the pianist whether they are VAT-registered, and if so for the number and for 20% under the fee. gov.uk →

“Will you use the venue's piano or bring your own?”

A good answer: A pianist who asks about the venue's instrument and its last tuning, and has a digital piano as a fallback.

“Do you sing as well, or play instrumental only?”

A good answer: A clear answer, and recordings of the pianist doing what you are booking.

“Can I hear a live recording, not a studio track?”

A good answer: A recording from a real event, with the room sound in it.

“How long will you play, and with what breaks?”

A good answer: Playing times for each part of the day, with breaks that fit around speeches and food.

“Will you learn a piece we request?”

A good answer: Yes, with a deadline for requests and any arrangement charge stated.

“What do you need from the venue?”

A good answer: A level space, a socket if using a digital piano, an adjustable stool or a chair, and somewhere to park.

“What happens if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named pianist as a stand-in, or the deposit refunded, in the booking.

Getting the quote right

  • The date, venue and playing times for the pianist
  • Instrument: venue piano (tuning paid by whom) or the pianist's own digital piano and PA
  • Requested pieces and any arrangement charge
  • Travel, parking and any overnight stay as separate lines
  • The pianist's VAT number, if registered, and VAT under the playing fee
  • Deposit, balance date and cancellation terms
  • Who actually attends: the pianist you heard, or a deputy — employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No live recording of the pianist available
  • No plan if the venue's piano is out of tune or locked
  • No written booking, or no word on illness
  • Pressure to pay the full fee far in advance
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£300
HIGH
£425

What a pianist costs: £150–£425 per booking

Pianists quote per booking by playing time; a singing pianist, a requested arrangement or bringing an instrument and PA can raise the fee, and travel is added. Pianist for Hire price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Pianists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Instrument checkThe pianist checks the venue's piano or sets up their own digital piano and speaker in the agreed spot.
  2. Balance the soundA quick check at the volume the room needs, below conversation for a reception.
  3. Arrivals and ceremonyEntrance and signing music on the cues agreed with you and the officiant.
  4. Reception or dinnerBackground repertoire with breaks, requests on the list played as planned.
  5. Finish and pack downPlaying ends on time, kit is cleared, the balance is paid as agreed.

Stage piano
A portable digital piano with weighted keys, used when no acoustic piano is available.
Tuning
Adjusting an acoustic piano's pitch; a venue piano may need it before an event.
Repertoire
The pieces a pianist already plays without preparation.
Arrangement
A version of a song written for piano; new ones may be charged.
Background set
Quiet playing under conversation, for drinks or dinner.
TheMusicLicence
The PPL PRS licence for music in public, normally held by the venue.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingIt records the pianist's playing times, pieces and fee.
Note any shortfallPlaying that started late or finished early, or pieces missed, written down promptly.
Settle tuning and travelAny tuning or travel cost should match what the quote said.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, which is why one about the pianist carries weight. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the pianist is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the pianist in writingExplain in writing what fell short — a late start, playing time cut, requested pieces not played — and whether you want part of the fee back or the work redone. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 builds reasonable care and skill into the contract; for a one-off occasion, a reduction in price is the usual remedy.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the pianist below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3Advice and Trading StandardsComplaints about pianists have no regulator to go to. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about pianists to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the pianist will not returnWithout a solicitor, a refund from the pianist can be pursued up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a pianist: questions people ask

No — there is no licence for pianists themselves. Licensing here is about the place and the event, and a licensed venue normally holds the music licence.

Not by law. Safe electrics are the legal duty, not a PAT sticker, and cover is optional — but expect your venue to ask the pianist for each.

£150 to £425 per booking, typically around £300. See the pianist for hire price guide for what moves the figure, or search your town above for pianists nearby.

Only if it is tuned and the venue allows it. Otherwise a pianist's digital stage piano is the reliable choice.

Agree it before the day. Some venues tune for events; otherwise the pianist or you book a tuner.

Yes. Give the song early; a new arrangement may carry a charge.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: HarpistHow to hire: String QuartetHow to hire: Solo MusicianHow to hire: Wedding SingerHow to hire: Acoustic DuoHow to hire: SaxophonistHow to hire: Live BandHow to hire: MC / ToastmasterAll 701 hiring guides →

Pianists near you

Pianists in LondonPianists in ManchesterPianists in BirminghamPianists in GlasgowPianists in BelfastAll pianists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — licence to play live or recorded music
  2. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  3. gov.uk — entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
  4. HSE — portable appliance testing FAQs
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  11. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register