Marquee Hire for Festivals and Fairs
Planning a festival, fete or community event? Here's how marquee hire works at scale.
Types of marquees used at festivals
Festivals rarely use a single marquee. Most events need a mix of sizes and types, each serving a different purpose.
Main stage / performance marquee
Clearspan or large traditional marquee, 12m x 24m to 18m x 36m or bigger. Open on one or more sides for audience flow. Engineered to handle wind loads and support rigging for lights and sound. £3,000-£15,000+.
Vendor / stall tents
3m x 3m pop-up gazebos are standard for food vendors and craft stalls. Most vendors bring their own. If you supply them, expect £30-£100 per tent. For a 50-vendor festival, that's £1,500-£5,000.
Bar / food court marquee
Frame or traditional marquee, 9m x 18m to 12m x 24m. Enclosed with sidewalls for licensing compliance. Needs flooring if the ground is uneven. £1,500-£5,000.
VIP / sponsor marquee
Sailcloth or frame marquee, 6m x 12m to 9m x 18m. Furnished with nicer seating, flooring and lighting. This is where sponsors entertain and it needs to look the part. £1,000-£4,000.
Registration / information
Small frame marquee or pop-up, 3m x 3m to 3m x 6m. Needs a table and power. £50-£200.
First aid / operations
3m x 6m or 6m x 6m, enclosed with sidewalls for privacy. Often required by your event licence. £100-£400.
Licensing and regulations
Festival marquees are temporary structures and local authorities regulate them. Get ahead of this — licence delays can derail your timeline.
- A premises licence or Temporary Event Notice (TEN) is required if you're selling alcohol, providing entertainment or serving hot food after 11pm. A TEN covers events of up to 499 people. Larger events need a full premises licence.
- Fire safety: Your marquee supplier should provide flame-retardant certificates (BS 7837 or BS EN 13501). The local fire authority may inspect before the event.
- Occupancy limits apply. The fire authority sets these based on marquee size, exits and layout. Submit your floor plan early.
- Planning permission isn't normally required for temporary structures under 28 days, but check with your local council. Some areas have specific bylaws.
- If you're on council land or a public park, you need an events booking with the council. This is separate from the licence.
- Noise limits vary by council. Check the decibel limits and curfew for your venue. Residential areas typically enforce stricter limits.
- Health and safety: For events over a few hundred people, you should have a written event safety plan. The council or local safety advisory group (SAG) may want to see it.
Multi-marquee layout
The layout between marquees matters as much as the marquees themselves. People need to flow between areas without bottlenecks, and emergency vehicles need access.
- Leave at least 3-4 metres between marquees. Fire regulations require it, and it prevents one structure failing in high wind from taking out its neighbour.
- Main walkways should be 5-6 metres wide. That handles two-way foot traffic, pushchairs, wheelchairs and service vehicles.
- Face vendor stall openings toward the main walkway. Stalls facing away from foot traffic get fewer customers.
- Put the bar area downwind and away from the children's zone. Sound travels, and the smell of food works in your favour — place food vendors where foot traffic is highest.
- Keep a 6-metre fire lane clear around the perimeter. Emergency vehicles need access to every structure.
Power and infrastructure
Festivals need serious power. A single food vendor with a fryer draws 30-50 amps. A stage with lights and PA can draw 200+. Don't rely on extension leads from a nearby building.
- Generator sizing: Get an electrician or your hire company to calculate the total load. Undersized generators trip breakers mid-event. Oversized ones waste fuel, but that's the safer mistake.
- Generator placement: Downwind, 15+ metres from any occupied marquee, behind acoustic barriers if possible. Industrial generators are loud — 65-80 dB depending on size.
- Cable runs: Distribution boards split power from the generator to individual marquees. All cables crossing walkways need cable ramps for safety and accessibility.
- Lighting: Vendor stalls need their own lights. If the event runs past 6pm, every marquee needs illumination. Festoon lights for atmosphere, utility floodlights for vendor prep areas.
Timeline
Festival marquee setups take days, not hours. Build this into your venue booking or land hire.
- 4-6 months out: Get quotes, confirm marquee types and sizes, sign contracts. Large events should book even earlier — some suppliers own limited numbers of 12m x 24m+ marquees.
- 6-8 weeks out: Submit licence applications. TENs require at least 10 working days notice, but full premises licences take longer.
- 2 weeks out: Finalise floor plans with your supplier. Confirm power drops, vendor stall assignments and delivery schedule.
- 3-5 days out: Marquee delivery and erection begins. Large clearspan marquees take a full day to build. A 50-vendor festival with a stage marquee takes 2-3 days of setup.
- Day of: Walkthrough with fire authority if required. Confirm exits are clear, extinguishers are placed and occupancy signs are posted.
- Day after: Teardown starts. Budget 1-2 days. The hire company handles the marquees, but your team handles waste, signage and vendor clearance.
Typical costs
Festival marquee budgets vary widely based on scale. Rough ranges for the marquee hire portion only:
| Event Scale | Marquees Needed | Marquee Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Small village fete (500 attendees) | 5-10 marquees | £2,000-£6,000 |
| Mid-size festival (1,000-3,000) | 15-30 marquees | £8,000-£25,000 |
| Large festival (5,000+) | 30-60+ marquees | £25,000-£75,000+ |
These figures don't include generators, flooring, tables, chairs, staging or portable toilets. For a full-service quote, contact hire companies directly with your site plan and event details.