BookEntertainment

What BookEntertainment does

BookEntertainment is a UK and Ireland-based online marketplace that connects event planners with entertainment providers including live bands, DJs, musicians, magicians, photo booths, and event service suppliers. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, the platform operates under the legal entity Bookentertainment Ltd and is led by CEO and Co-Founder Keith Donaghy. The marketplace lists approximately 3,000+ acts across more than 30 categories, with the largest concentrations in wedding bands (1,009 listings), party and function bands (956 listings), party DJs (527 listings), and children's entertainers (316 listings). Coverage spans all regions of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The platform is built on a web-based marketplace architecture allowing customers to search by date and location, message entertainers directly, and book through the site, with a flexible payment feature enabling customers to spread balance payments.

The company's business model is marketplace commission-based, where entertainment suppliers list their services on the platform and the platform facilitates bookings between suppliers and customers. Pricing is set independently by individual acts with no platform-wide pricing structure disclosed. Revenue mechanics depend on commission rates applied to booking transactions facilitated through the platform, though specific commission percentages and gross merchandise value are not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by SEO through extensive location-based pages covering every UK county, city, and Irish region, supplemented by content marketing via blog posts and event idea sections. The company also operates the Event Entertainment Awards, an annual client-voted industry recognition program launched in 2019 covering 9 UK regions and multiple entertainment categories, which serves both as a brand-building initiative and an engagement mechanism for listed suppliers.

Operationally, BookEntertainment runs with a small team of 1-10 employees and has not raised any external funding to date, indicating organic growth funded by marketplace economics. The platform has no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed integrations with third-party event management software, suggesting a focused rather than platform-extending technology strategy. The company's horizontal segmentation approach targets weddings, corporate events, private parties, children's parties, charity events, hospitality venue events, and educational institution events, giving it breadth across event use cases but limited depth in any single vertical.

Name

BookEntertainment

Legal name

Bookentertainment Ltd

Website

https://bookentertainment.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BookEntertainment is a UK and Ireland online marketplace connecting event planners with over 3,000 listed entertainment acts including bands, DJs, musicians, and magicians for weddings, corporate events, and private parties, operating since 2017 from Londonderry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Entertainment Marketplace

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSACAHAA

Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Entertainment Booking & Talent Management

SECONDARYHSACAHAB

Performers & Specialty Acts Booking (Magicians, Comedians, Circus, Variety)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Entertainment Booking & Talent Management

SECONDARYHSACACAL

Party Venue Sourcing & Booking Services

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Party & Social Event Services

Keywords

• Entertainment booking marketplace
• Live event entertainment
• Wedding entertainment directory
• Musician booking platform
• Event talent marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission: Platform facilitates bookings between entertainment suppliers and customers, taking a commission on transactions. Act suppliers pay to list and receive bookings through the platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BookEntertainment operates a UK and Ireland online marketplace that connects event planners with entertainers, musicians, DJs, magicians, photo booth providers, and other event service suppliers. Customers search by event type, date, and location, contact acts directly through the platform, and book entertainment for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and children's events. The platform takes a commission on transactions facilitated between entertainment suppliers and customers.

Product overview

BookEntertainment is a UK and Ireland-based entertainment booking marketplace platform that enables customers to discover, message, and book entertainers, musicians, DJs, and event service suppliers directly. The platform features a comprehensive directory of entertainment categories including Wedding Bands (1,009+ listings), Party and Function Bands (956+ listings), Jazz and Swing Bands, Classical Musicians (280+ listings), DJs (Party DJs: 527+, Wedding DJs), Magicians (258+ listings), Photo Booths (192+ listings), Children's Entertainers (316+ listings), Comedy Hypnotists (21+ listings), Events Service Suppliers (217+ listings), and numerous other categories spanning musical acts, performers, speakers, and event equipment hire. The platform connects customers with entertainers across all UK regions including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Core platform features include direct messaging between customers and entertainers, flexible payment options allowing customers to spread balance costs, date-based availability search, and location-based search functionality. The company also operates an Event Entertainment Awards program recognizing excellence in the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entertainment Booking Marketplace Online marketplace platform where event planners search, message, and book entertainers, musicians, DJs, and event service suppliers for weddings, corporate events, parties, and children's events across the UK and Ireland.
• Wedding Bands Live band entertainment for wedding receptions and ceremonies, with 1,009 wedding bands listed on the platform.
• Party and Function Bands Live music bands for private parties and function events, with 956 bands listed.
• Party DJs DJ services for parties and events, with 527 party DJs listed.
• Children's Entertainers Entertainment acts for children's parties and family events, with 316 entertainers listed.
• Classical Musicians Classical musicians including string quartets and solo instrumentalists for events, with 280 listed.
• Magicians Magic performers for events, with 258 magicians listed.
• Events Service Suppliers General event service providers including catering, styling, and equipment hire, with 217 suppliers listed.
• Photo Booths Photo booth hire services for events, with 192 photo booths listed.
• Comedy Hypnotists Comedy hypnosis entertainment acts, with 21 comedy hypnotists listed.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Entertainment Nation: UK booking agency for live bands, function bands, wedding bands, and DJs with comparable geographic coverage. Directly competes for the same wedding and corporate entertainment bookings as BookEntertainment.
• Hire A Band: UK platform connecting customers with wedding, function, and party bands. Directly comparable entertainment-booking marketplace with overlapping supplier base and audience.
• GigSalad: US-based online marketplace for booking live entertainment — bands, DJs, magicians, and event performers. Comparable two-sided marketplace model, though operating primarily in North America.
• Encore Musicians: UK entertainment booking agency listing live bands, musicians, and DJs for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Closest like-for-like competitor operating in the same geographic market with the same product taxonomy.
• GigMasters: Established US entertainment-booking marketplace for live musicians, DJs, and event entertainers. Shares BookEntertainment's core marketplace mechanics and target customer (event planners booking acts).
• Last Minute Musicians: UK platform for booking live musicians and bands, with a focus on availability-led discovery. Direct competitor sharing BookEntertainment's core marketplace model and customer segments.
• Bark.com: UK-based online marketplace where customers post needs and receive quotes from local professionals, including event entertainment categories like DJs, bands, and photo booths. Directly comparable marketplace model targeting the same SMB/event-planner customer base in the same UK geography.
• FunctionBands.co.uk: UK-focused marketplace and agency specialising in function bands and wedding entertainment. Comparable supplier directory model targeting the same live-music booking use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Thumbtack: Large US-based marketplace connecting customers with local professionals across hundreds of service categories, including event entertainment. Broader scope than BookEntertainment but operates the same discovery-and-quote marketplace model.
• WeddingWire: Global wedding-vendor marketplace listing venues, photographers, bands, DJs, and entertainment. Serves overlapping wedding-event customers as BookEntertainment but as a much broader vendor directory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bookentertain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BookEntertainment