Match the DJ to the room
A wedding DJ, a club resident and a corporate-party DJ are three different jobs. Wedding DJs read a mixed-age room and take requests. Club DJs hold a specific genre for 1–3 hours. Corporate DJs balance background dinner music with a peak dancefloor hour.
What to send in your first message
- Event type and date
- Venue and city (indoor/outdoor, sound restrictions)
- Set length — arrival, dinner, dancefloor
- Style / must-play and do-not-play tracks
- Whether you need equipment (rig, booth, mics for speeches)
- Budget range
Typical UK DJ fees (2026)
- Wedding DJ, 5 hours + rig: £600–£1,500
- Corporate DJ, 3–4 hours + rig: £800–£2,500
- Club / brand DJ, 2 hour set: £400–£3,000+
- Named/festival DJ: £5,000–£100,000+
Equipment: hire or bring?
Ask upfront whether the fee includes a rig (CDJs/controller, mixer, speakers, lighting, wireless mic). Venues rarely have club-standard sound — assume you need it unless the venue confirms otherwise in writing.
"The single biggest DJ complaint at weddings is a sound system that can't handle the last hour. Pay for the rig."
Contracts and deposits
Standard is a 20–50% deposit to secure the date, balance due before the event. Get set times, overtime rate, cancellation window and equipment list in writing. On StageSide the contract and deposit flow is built in — see our booking contracts guide.
Browse verified DJs by city and style on StageSide.
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