Marquee extras explained: power, toilets, heating and lighting

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Marquee Assembly team

Short answer: Most marquee events need more than the structure. Plan power for lighting, catering, music and heaters, often from a silent generator; allow roughly one toilet per 35 to 50 guests for an evening event with drinks; use indirect heaters outside the marquee for cooler months; and add covered walkways and outdoor lighting so guests can move around safely after dark.

Power

Power is where marquee events most often go wrong. Lighting alone does not use much, but caterers' ovens, hot cupboards, urns and fridges, bands, bars and electric heaters soon add up. Running all of that through extension leads from the house risks tripping circuits mid-speech, or worse.

List every item that needs power and ask each supplier for their load
Use a silent generator sized to the total with some headroom
Keep the generator away from the marquee, guests and children, with fuel stored safely
Use outdoor-rated cables, distribution boards and protection against electric shock
Route cables where they will not be tripped over, with covers on walkways
Have someone competent install and check outdoor power

Small garden parties with festoon lighting and a speaker can often use household power safely if it is properly arranged. Weddings and catered events usually need a generator.

If the marquee is near a farm building or outbuilding with its own supply, do not assume it can take the load. Older sub-mains and outbuilding supplies are often lightly rated, and a qualified electrician should confirm what is available before anything is plugged in.

Toilets

Event	Rough toilet guide
Daytime party, light drinks	About 1 per 50 to 75 guests
Evening party or wedding with alcohol	About 1 per 35 to 50 guests
Public event or festival	Follow event guidance and licensing conditions

These are rough guides, and suppliers will advise based on the length of the event and the mix of guests. Luxury toilet trailers are popular for weddings and need a level spot, power and sometimes a water supply. Allow a lit, firm path from the marquee, and at least one accessible toilet if any guests need it. Using the house toilets for a large event rarely works well and can overload septic tanks.

Heating and cooling

Even in summer, a marquee can get cold after sunset, and spring, autumn and winter events almost always need heating. The usual choice is indirect diesel heaters placed outside the structure, with warm air ducted in so no fumes or flames are inside. They are thermostatically controlled and need a planned position, a fuel supply and power.

Hard flooring, solid walls and linings all help retain heat
Allow heaters to run before guests arrive to warm the space
Keep ducts and heaters away from exits and fabric
Patio-style gas heaters are generally not suitable inside marquees
In a heatwave, open walls, shade and fans or cooling units may be needed instead

Lighting

Inside, chandeliers, festoon and uplighters set the mood, and dimmers let you change the feel from dinner to dancing. Outside, guests need lighting on paths to the toilets, car park and house, and around guy ropes and stakes on pole marquees, which are a trip hazard after dark. Evening events also need emergency lighting at exits, particularly for business or public events where a fire risk assessment applies.

Walkways, catering tents and the rest

Covered walkways between the house, marquee, toilets and catering area
Catering tent with flooring, lighting, power and water for the caterers
Matting or trackway at entrances on soft ground
Bins and recycling arranged with the caterer
Parking and drop-off area for guests and suppliers
Coat rail or cloakroom area in cooler months

Working out the power load

A rough power estimate helps you have the right conversation with the generator supplier. Each supplier should tell you what their equipment draws, usually in kilowatts or amps. Add the figures together, allow for everything that may run at once, such as ovens, hot cupboards, a band's amplifiers and the bar's fridges during the evening peak, and add a margin on top.

Generators are usually rated in kVA. A small party may manage on a modest unit, while a catered wedding with a band, bar and electric heating can need a much larger one. The supplier will size it for you if you give them a complete list, and they can supply distribution boards so loads are split across separate circuits rather than one long run of extension leads.

Typical costs

Extra	Typical UK guide price
Silent generator for a wedding	£300 to £1,000 or more
Indirect heater, per unit per event	£150 to £400
Luxury toilet trailer	£600 to £1,500 or more
Standard portable toilet, per unit	£80 to £200
Covered walkway	£10 to £30 per metre
Catering tent	£300 to £1,000

These are typical guide prices and vary by region, season and how far suppliers have to travel. Book them early, as good generators and toilet trailers are in demand on summer Saturdays.