When Iron Broo was invited to Luxembourg to play a school ceilidh, it was a new destination for us and a good reminder that Scottish ceilidh dancing really can work almost anywhere.

We travelled over in December to provide a ceilidh for Year 8 pupils at an international school. Luxembourg was certainly colder than I had expected, colder than Aberdeen, which takes some doing, but it was a great trip and a fantastic event. 

A Scottish Ceilidh for an International Audience

One of the questions we often get when playing for international groups is:

“What if our guests have never done a ceilidh before?”

That really isn’t a problem.

Calling and explaining the dances is a big part of what Iron Broo does. In Luxembourg, the pupils were largely new to Scottish ceilidh dancing, so we talked them through each dance before the music started and kept helping as we went along.

Despite being in a multilingual country, communication wasn’t a problem. Before long the floor was full and the pupils were throwing themselves into the dancing.

That is one of the things I love about a ceilidh. You don’t need years of dance experience, and you certainly don’t need to be Scottish. With good music, clear calling and a willingness to have a go, people very quickly find themselves joining in.

Bringing Scottish Music to Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a fascinating place to visit. The city is built over dramatic valleys and gorges, with the old fortifications and the lower Grund giving it a very distinctive character. We were also impressed by how multilingual the city was, with Luxembourgish, French and German heard alongside many other European languages. 

Being there in December also meant Christmas markets, lights and plenty of atmosphere around the city.

But the real highlight for us was the ceilidh itself.

The reaction afterwards summed it up perfectly. Chantal Gluting wrote:

“They came all the way to Luxembourg to do a ceilidh with our Year 8 students and it was simply fantastic!” 

She also said that the students were encouraged to take part and ended up loving the dancing. 

Ceilidhs Work Across Cultures

The Luxembourg trip reinforced something we have seen many times over the years.

A ceilidh is particularly good for an international group because it gives everyone something to do together. People who have only just met can be dancing together within minutes, and the fact that the dances are called means nobody has to arrive knowing what to do.

That is just as useful at an international school event as it is at a wedding where families and friends have travelled from different countries.

Iron Broo Abroad

Iron Broo has travelled outside Scotland for weddings, private events and other celebrations, taking Scottish ceilidh music to audiences who may never have experienced it before.

We can provide different line-ups depending on the event and destination, from the compact One Man Ceilidh Band and Iron Broo Duo through to larger band combinations.

Wherever we play, the principle is the same: live Scottish music, clear dance calling and getting as many people involved as possible.

Planning a Wedding or Event Abroad?

If you are organising a wedding or celebration overseas and would like to bring a genuine Scottish ceilidh with you, we’d be delighted to hear about it.

Find out more about our Destination Wedding Ceilidh Band →

Here’s fit Luxembourg looks like… in the Gruund.