Ensembles · Pipe Band
Pipe band tours of Scotland and Ireland
Play where the pipes belong, march in great parades, and leave the planning to marching band specialists.
What a pipe band tour with Upbeat looks like
A typical Upbeat pipe band tour runs for five to seven nights across Scotland and Ireland, with a performance in each city. Many bands build their tour around a big occasion, such as the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow or the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. Around it we add heritage venues, exchanges with local bands and time to explore the places your music comes from.
5 to 7
nights
2 countries
Scotland and Ireland
1 big occasion
to build the tour around
From Glasgow Green to the streets of Dublin
Pipe bands sound at their best outdoors and in grand old buildings. These are some of the places we plan pipe band performances around.
Glasgow
George Square, Loch Lomond Shores, and the World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green
Edinburgh
[Edinburgh venues to confirm]
Dublin
The St Patrick's Day parade through the city centre
Towns and villages
Town squares and community centres, where a visiting band brings everyone out
Play alongside Scottish and Irish pipe bands
We pair visiting pipe bands with local bands and musicians, so a performance becomes a real exchange. Your band might share a parade with a Scottish or Irish pipe band, play a concert with Irish traditional musicians, or perform with Highland or Irish dancers. Off stage, there is time to compare tunes and settings, and make friends.
Your band could perform alongside
Scottish and Irish pipe bands · Traditional musicians · Highland and Irish dancers
Piping and drumming workshops
Our network reaches experienced pipers, drummers and tutors in Scotland and Ireland, who can help your band develop and connect with the tradition at its source.
Develop your band's sound
A clinic for your pipers and drummers with experienced tutors, working on tone, unison and your own sets.
Hear Ireland's own pipes
Learn tunes from Irish traditional musicians, with an introduction to the uilleann pipes, Ireland's own bellows-blown bagpipe.
Planned by marching band specialists
Upbeat's pipe band tours are planned by Keith Kelly and the Upbeat team. Keith spent many years as a performer with the Irish Defence Forces bands, and John DeNovi, who previously worked for Drum Corps International, travels the world as an expert on bands and international music events. Between them, they know what a marching band needs from a parade, a performance and a schedule.
Championships and parades for pipe bands
-
![Pipe bands competing on Glasgow Green]()
World Pipe Band Championships
Pipe bands from around the world compete on Glasgow Green each August.
-
![Pipe band in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin]()
St Patrick's Festival, Dublin
Ireland's biggest parade, every 17 March, with bands from around the world.
-
![]()
[Festival name]
[One line about the festival]
Where pipe bands tour
-
![Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London at sunset]()
England
Great cathedrals and concert halls, with London's parades and band festivals.
-
![Colourful village and green fields on the Irish coast]()
Ireland
Stone cathedrals, warm audiences and festivals from Limerick to Derry.
-
![Highland cow in the Scottish Highlands]()
Scotland
Historic stages and a proud piping tradition, from Edinburgh to the Highlands.
[Quote from a pipe major or band director, once they have agreed to it being used]
[Name], [band name]
Pipe band tour questions
-
Bands from outside Scotland do compete in Glasgow each August, but entry has its own rules and deadlines set by the organisers. We can help you check what applies to your band and plan the rest of your tour around the competition.
-
Visiting bands apply to St Patrick's Festival to take part, and places are limited. Pipe bands are a natural fit for the parade, and we can help with your application.
-
Pipes usually travel in the cabin and drums in the hold, but airline rules vary, so it's worth checking early. We plan ground transport with enough room for your instruments and uniforms.
-
Scotland and Ireland are where most pipe bands want to play, but we can also include England and Wales, for example to add London or a performance in a Welsh town.
-
August suits bands heading for the World Championships in Glasgow, and March suits bands marching on St Patrick's Day. Spring and early summer are also good for outdoor performances without the peak-season crowds.
Start planning your Upbeat tour today
Tell us about your group and where you'd like to perform. We'll shape the tour around your ensemble and handle the details, so you can focus on the music.