Best entertainers in Sydney
Sydney has more DJs than any other kind of act, and it isn't close, with cover bands, duos, solo singers and wedding bands lined up behind them. So the trouble with the list below isn't finding someone good. It's that the circle runs from Bondi Beach and Manly out to Parramatta, and you'll scroll past plenty of acts that don't suit your night before you reach the ones that do.
Pick the trade before you open a single profile. A wedding DJ and a cover band solve different problems, and Sydney has stacks of both, so decide what you want the room doing at 10pm and filter to that. Then check where they're based, because a Manly duo playing a Campbelltown wedding is a real drive and the good ones will say so if it costs extra.
Top picks in Sydney
Top picks are the nearby performers with the most visible reviews, then rating, then the closest; further afield the closest come first, and premium listings break remaining ties. Distances are straight-line from Sydney. Ask each act whether they travel to your venue and what that costs.
Questions people ask about entertainers in Sydney
How much does a DJ cost in Sydney?
Hours on the decks, the day of the week and whether the DJ brings lights and a full PA move the number more than anything else, and a Saturday in November costs more than a Thursday in July. Where the DJ lives matters too, because a Northern Beaches DJ quoting a Sutherland Shire wedding is quoting for the Spit Bridge and the tunnel. The from-prices beside each Sydney DJ on this page are today's starting points; the written quote is where the real figure lands.
Do Sydney acts charge extra for travel across the city?
Some do, and mostly only when the run is long. Inner city to inner city is rarely mentioned, but a Penrith wedding for a Bondi band, or a Palm Beach ceremony for a Cronulla duo, is two hours of Saturday traffic each way and it's fair for that to show up. Put the venue suburb in the enquiry and you'll get a price that already knows.
Which is better for a Sydney wedding, a DJ or a cover band?
Depends what you want the room doing after the speeches. A cover band gives you a show and a break between sets; a DJ gives you four hours without a gap and a smaller footprint, which matters in a harbourside restaurant with no stage. Sydney has plenty of both, and a fair few bands who'll run DJ music between sets so you don't have to choose.
Can I book an act for an event on Sydney Harbour?
Yes, and plenty of Sydney duos and DJs do boat work every summer. Ask the charter what power is on board and how the act's gear gets down the gangway, because a drum kit and a wharf ladder don't mix. Boats also leave on time whether the band is loaded or not, so give the act the boarding time, not the departure time.
When do Sydney entertainers book out?
October, November and the run into Christmas are the crush, when weddings, work parties and end-of-year school events all want the same Friday and Saturday nights. New Year's Eve is its own market with its own prices. If your date is in that stretch, enquire months out; a wet Tuesday in August you can leave much later.
Booking tips
Filter by trade first
Sydney's list is deep in every direction, so open it with one act type in mind. Duos and solo singers suit a cocktail hour or a restaurant dinner; DJs and cover bands are for the dance floor.
Ask which side of the city they're on
Traffic is the cost nobody quotes. An act from Newtown or Darlinghurst is an easy run to most inner venues, but if your event is out past Parramatta or down towards Campbelltown, ask whether travel is built into the price.
Don't skip the unusual acts
It isn't all bands and DJs. A didgeridoo player for a welcome, an accordion player for a long lunch or an Elvis tribute for a 60th are all in the list, and they're often the acts guests are still talking about a week later.