Marquees & tents hire
Frame, traditional and stretch, from garden parties to 500 seated. Delivered, set up and collected by suppliers who cover your patch.
Marquee hire in the UK typically costs £900 to £1,800 for a 9m frame marquee weekend hire, and £2,500 to £4,500 for a 120-guest wedding marquee with lining. Price depends on size, lining, flooring and site access. Most suppliers include delivery and setup within 20 to 30 miles.
The marquee is usually the biggest single hire decision an event makes: it sets the capacity, drives the power and heating plan, and decides how much furniture fits inside. Get the size right first and the rest of the kit list follows.
Frame marquees are the workhorse: no centre poles, sound sides, happy on hardstanding or grass. Traditional pole marquees look spectacular in an open field but need pegging room around the footprint. Stretch tents flex around trees and slopes and suit relaxed layouts. Clearspan structures cover the heavy end: exhibitions, corporate launches, anything that needs solid doors and floors.
Suppliers quote a full package: canvas, setup and takedown, and usually lining, flooring and lighting as options. The two questions every marquee company asks first are guest count and ground: grass or hard, level or sloping, and how close a lorry can get.
PLANNING RATIOSeated dining needs roughly 1.4 sqm per guest. As a width guide: a 20m-class marquee suits up to 60 guests, 30m up to 120, 40m up to 250, 50m up to 500.
What it costs
| Item | Typical guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pop-up gazebo 3×3m (self-erect) | £60–£120 / weekend | |
| 9m frame marquee, unlined | £900–£1,800 / weekend | |
| Wedding marquee for 120, lined | £2,500–£4,500 / weekend | lining, part flooring included |
| Stretch tent for 100 | £1,500–£3,500 / weekend | |
| Luxury lining and swags | +£800–£1,500 | |
| Hard flooring per sqm | £4–£9 / sqm |
Guide prices exclude VAT and vary with season, region and site access. Quotes from suppliers are always the real number.
Marquees & tents hire across the launch corridor
Local pages for every corridor town, with the same honest ratios and local site knowledge.
Marquees & tents hire: questions organisers ask
What size marquee do I need for 100 guests?
For a seated dinner with a dance floor, allow around 1.4 sqm per guest: a 100-guest wedding typically needs a marquee in the 30m-class range, for example 12m × 24m. Standing receptions need roughly half the space. Use our marquee size calculator for your exact numbers.
How much does it cost to hire a marquee for a wedding?
A realistic UK range for a 100 to 120 guest wedding marquee is £2,500 to £4,500 including lining and part flooring, before furniture and lighting. Small unlined frame marquees start under £1,000; large traditional pole marquees with full interiors can pass £8,000.
Can a marquee go up on a slope or hardstanding?
Frame marquees handle gentle slopes and hardstanding well (weighted rather than pegged). Slopes beyond about 1 in 20 usually need a level floor built inside, which adds cost. Pole and stretch tents need ground they can peg into.
How far in advance should I book a marquee?
Peak summer Saturdays are commonly booked 6 to 12 months out, and 3 to 6 months is a safe general window. Off-peak or midweek dates can often be covered at a few weeks notice because suppliers hold stock between weekend jobs.
Does marquee hire include setup and takedown?
Almost always, yes: quotes are normally supply, deliver, erect and dismantle. What varies is access assumptions. If crews have to hand-carry sections far from the lorry, or work around locked gates and narrow lanes, expect an access surcharge, so describe the site honestly up front.
