BFBS Live Events ( formerly CSE) - About Us

What We Do

BFBS Live Events (formerly CSE) has been delivering exceptional entertainment to troops worldwide since 1946, providing high-quality services no matter what the venue, the location or the budget.

Our bespoke approach to versatile and dynamic event and live entertainment solutions to suit any customer means we are confident we can always pull a gig out of the bag, no matter what gets thrown at us!

Our highly experienced and friendly team have a combined 50 years of professional live event experience between them and we understand the time and effort that is required to create success. Your event is all about you and we will give 100% dedication to your requirements. Your event, your way!

We take great pride in getting you value for money, providing entertainment solutions to suit even the smallest of budgets, always ensuring that the savings off the stage are never obvious on it.

Our little black book is packed with musicians, bands, comedians, celebs, magicians and more. So, whether it’s a private party, intimate mess function, family day, festival, or even an operational morale boost, BFBS Live Events will make your event a success!

Our beneficiary work

BFBS Live Events (formerly CSE) is part of a charity with a 70-year history of working alongside the British Armed Forces. As a not-for-profit organisation, any surplus we make in our entertainment projects, will go directly into a fund for the welfare of British Armed Forces personnel and their families, especially those most in need of a morale boost.

So when you engage our services, don’t forget that you could also be helping with a live show for the Chelsea Pensioners, a celebrity visit to Recovery Centre patients or a party for children whose parents are away on an operational tour.

If you are in the military or are part of the wider military community and have a welfare requirement for live entertainment or event services, please contact us for more information about how the BFBS Live Events Beneficiary Fund could support you and/or an application form.

Thursday night was absolutely brilliant…It was incredible to witness residents, who have been battling severe physical and/or psychological issues throughout their stay here, have their minds taken off things for an evening; some of our most troubled and least responsive residents up at the front, dancing in the heart of the party! It was completely overwhelming and enormously beneficial to the residents on a number of levels.

- Tedworth House Staff

Your presence at the event provided amazing entertainment for all our families, it bought parents, children and teachers together… the children had lots of fun and new friendships were formed which will help our service children when transitioning to secondary school.

- Elise Gower, Service Family Link Worker, Alverstoke School, Gosport

Our history

Combined Services Entertainment (CSE) took over when the Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA) was disbanded in 1946. In 2020 we re-branded to BFBS Live Events. 

We’ve been around the world and at the front line with the Forces audience ever since and have years of experience getting entertainment to wherever personnel may be.

Our experience in putting entertainment solutions into warzones for frontline combat troops, means we don’t ever shy away from a place, a venue or an audience that might be challenging, in fact we thrive on it!

Most UK military personnel will already know BFBS Live Events (formerly CSE) and will likely have seen one of our shows around the world or in the UK. We’ve been keeping the military entertained on operational bases all over the world and at home for decades and we know our military brothers and sisters like… well, family. We will take care of all the details, so you don’t have to.