Hire a bagpiper to create a powerful and memorable moment at your celebration. Find bagpipers for hire near you, with profiles, pricing, and FAQs to help you book with confidence.
On average, professional bagpipers cost $200-$300 for a 30-minute performance. The price may vary depending on your location, travel distance, and the bagpiper’s experience level.
The details of the event may also affect the cost. If you need a piper for both your wedding ceremony and the reception, that will cost more than just a singular wedding service. Memorial services are similar with higher costs for packages that include bagpipe music at both the funeral and graveside.
Bagpipers are most commonly booked for 30-minute performances. Bagpipes are a fairly heavy instrument and playing requires a lot of breath control. If you need to book for longer than 30 minutes, be sure to allow enough time for the performer to take adequate breaks between sets. For even longer events, consider hiring more than one piper.
Every bagpipe player will have their own setlist and unique repertoire of songs to choose from for your event. This may include a variety of traditional Scottish music mixed with some more modern songs. If you have a specific song in mind for your event, discuss it in advance with your bagpiper. If they don’t already know it, they might be able to learn it for an additional cost.
Many of the bagpipers on GigSalad are booked as solo acts. But if you’re looking for a fuller sound, your piper may have associates or connections for hiring a full pipe band. Pipe bands are an ensemble of musicians playing pipes and drums. This is a popular option for parades, festivals, and other large events.
Bagpipers are very commonly booked for funerals, burials, wakes, and memorial services. But they aren't just for mourning! Bagpipe music can also be romantic, which makes bagpipe music a popular wedding entertainment option.
Both solo pipers and pipe bands are also popular for parades, fairs, and festivals – especially those with Scottish or Irish themes. And of course, you have to book a bagpiper for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Almost all bagpipers will wear traditional Highland Dress. This will include a kilt, jacket, plaid, and a feather or Glengarry bonnet. The outfit is often further dressed up with additional embellishments and accessories. Kilts and plaids are most often found in shades of red, green, blue, and yellow.
The tradition of playing bagpipes at funerals was brought to the United States by Scottish immigrants in the mid-1800s. Bagpipe music has become a popular symbol of mourning, especially at services honoring firefighters, police officers, and other service members. The most popular funeral song for bagpipes is “Amazing Grace,” which is often played at the end of the memorial service.
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Bagpipers are a good fit for a variety of events, from weddings and funerals to festivals and corporate events. They can play traditional Scottish tunes or offer a unique twist on popular hit songs. Good pipers are often in high demand and get booked up months in advance, so start your search as early as possible.
When hiring a bagpiper, be sure to browse profiles to see photos, watch videos, or listen to audio samples. This will help you learn more about their style and song list. Then read reviews from past clients to make sure they will be a good fit for you and your event. Once you find the piper you want to hire, get the details in writing with a contract or booking agreement. When you book through GigSalad, your payments are made securely through the site and are protected by our Worry-Free Guarantee!
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The best way to get accurate pricing is to request free, personalized quotes from Bagpipers near you.
To give you a ballpark, we’ve used past GigSalad quotes to get average nationwide pricing for hiring a Bagpiper.
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