- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, white
Marquees & Party tents
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, grey-white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, grey-white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, grey-white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PVC 700 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PVC 700 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PVC 700 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, grey-white
- Standard click frame
- PE 350 tarpaulin, white
- Standard bolt connections
- PE 450 tarpaulin, grey-white
- Standard bolt connections
- PVC 700 tarpaulin, grey-white
FLEX marquees ideal for the garden
Useful accessories for a marquee
Our accessories in detail
You can improve the stability of your garden marquee or outdoor event tent using accessories.
- Use our tie down ratchets straps for additional safety and greater stability. The safety set features strong tension belts and ground anchoring. These make the garden party tents suitable for use in the garden, but also at professional venues such as at cafés and restaurants, or during weddings.
- Marquee weights are a simple solution for adding more weight to stabilise a marquee in light winds.
- Marquee heaters are another popular accessory for events of all kinds.
- Many customers find our bungee cords incredibly useful, whether for hanging decorations off the frame, or for a range of other uses around the house and garden. You can find bags of between 25-100 bungee straps in white or black in our collection of accessories.
Heavy-duty marquees that are built to last
If you are buying a marquee, be sure to buy from a specialist! We have a huge selection of marquees for sale, available in different colours, designs, qualities, and sizes. Our heavy duty marquees are built to last and are used all over the UK for marquee events, weddings, garden parties and much more!
Here are just some of the reasons to buy a marquee from House of Tents:
strong and robust materials. A sturdy frame and durable tarpaulin covers.
individual sidewall panels that can be added or removed wherever they are needed.
optional connecting gutters that allow you to connect multiple tents to expand the covered area with complete flexibility.
overlapping sides that allow for a great room climate while preventing drafts.
Outdoor marquees for any purpose
Marquees and gazebos can be used in many different circumstances. For example, as a shelter at garden parties, outdoor dining at restaurants or pubs or even for weather-proofing an outdoor swimming pool. The range of uses is vast.
A garden marquee for garden parties and much more
For anyone planning a garden party to impress, our garden party marquees make a great basis for a celebration or gathering in your own garden. During the day, a marquee in the garden protects against sun and rain, with UV protection and waterproof roof and side panels. During the evening, a garden tent provides shelter against wind and the cold. Our party marquees look stylish in the garden with church style windows offering views and plenty of light inside the garden marquee even on rainy days.
Event marquees for the perfect event
Event tents are ideal for events and occasions of all kinds. That makes them ideal for clubs, schools and other community groups or businesses. Any event where short term buildings and shelter are needed, a commercial marquee is a practical and cost-effective answer. You don’t want to rely on good weather for your event or gala to go ahead. A large event tent gives you the assurance of covered event shelter for all eventualities.
For clubs and schools, a club marquee or school tent will see plenty of use, particularly at open days and fundraising galas. Our Professional tents with fire-resistant certification are a great option for events and festivals. As well as greater fire protection, the steel frame features a series of reinforcing supports, including a ground bar that significantly increases the structure's stability.
Wedding marquees: a versatile party venue
Our garden marquees are also an obvious choice as a party tent for wedding receptions. In particular, luxury marquees from our range of professional quality wedding tents can help move a wedding from ordinary to outstanding. Luxurious drapes, romantic lighting and flower bouquets transform a party tent into an unforgettable venue that can be set up wherever needed at your wedding location. A wedding tent is a great option because you can choose the size that suits your celebration perfectly. No need to cram guests in and no vast unused space to dampen the party mood.
Heavy duty marquees that you can rely on
We design our heavy duty marquees for long-term, regular use. Unlike cheap marquees you might find at a large retailer, our strong marquees will remain standing in windy conditions. Our party tent tarpaulins are also 100% waterproof. All roof seams are sealed, meaning that water won’t drip through into the tent. We've maximised the stability of our waterproof marquees with the addition of extra supports for our premium and professional models. A ground bar is a key feature for building a sturdy marquee that will stay firm against wind and rain. Ground bars are included with PE professional marquees, as well as Premium and Professional PVC marquees.
How to stop condensation in a tent
The sidewalls of our marquee tents are constructed so that there is a controlled exchange of air, with oxygen evenly entering the party tent and stuffy, damp air exiting. The tent has a comfortable climate day and night, even when fully closed.
Event shelters and other tents are especially susceptible to condensation because moisture is released from grass during the day and gets trapped under the canopy of the tent. As the temperature cools overnight, condensation forms on the cold surface of the marquee sides and canopy. You can find out more on this topic, as well as tips for avoiding the problem in our magazine article how to stop condensation in tents.
Individual marquee sides
Our tents feature individually removable side wall panels. The wall and gable sections of our party marquees can be individually removed to create entrances wherever you need them. You even have the option of removing all the marquee sides to create a completely open canopy. That way you benefit from plenty of shade but maximise that open, outdoor feeling.
Connecting marquees with rain gutters
For the optimum in flexibility, use fully waterproof connecting gutters to connect marquee tents. For example, with two 4 × 8 m marquees, you have the option of using:
- one marquee by itself for small get-togethers,
- two individually for separate purposes,
- or both together for a large wedding party or company event.
Easy to attach to both tent structures and affording you so much in flexibility. Connecting gutters are ideal for clubs, companies, and public organisations. There is no limit to the number of tents that can be connected with the gutters, you could even create a tent city with 10+ tents connected to each other.
High quality marquee materials
All models in our shop have fully galvanised steel frames featuring 38 mm diameter poles. For PVC Professional models, the diameter of the marquee frame extends to 50 mm.
On our site you will find party tents from two product lines, FLEX and PRO. FLEX party tents feature PE (polyethylene) tarpaulin covers, while PRO event tents have PVC covers. Party tents from both product lines offer excellent protection against sun and rain and are extremely durable. Both FLEX and PRO garden tents are UV-resistant, 100% waterproof and have welded seams that are guaranteed to keep the water out.
PVC marquees for extra stability
If you need a heavy duty marquee for long-term or year-round use, we recommend buying a high-quality PRO marquee with a PVC tarpaulin. This is a durable, robust material that is suitable for year-round use. Party tent tarpaulins made of PVC are approximately twice as heavy as PE covers and are similar to a truck trailer covers in terms of their feel. Alongside a high resistance to environmental influences, PVC has the general property of being fire-retardant. However, only our party tents with PRIME fire-resistant tarpaulins are certified as being fire-resistant. These long-life marquees are ideally suited for use in areas where fire safety must be ensured - for example at corporate events.
Lightweight PE marquees
The tarpaulin material of PE (FLEX) party tents is thinner and lighter than the hard-wearing PVC (PRO) party tents. On average, FLEX tarps weigh only half as much. Due to the lower weight, PE tent tarpaulins are easier to handle and take up less space when stored. In addition, FLEX party marquees enable quicker assembly and are generally cheaper than PVC luxury marquees.
However, PE tarpaulins are more vulnerable to damage than tarpaulins made of PVC material. They're more suitable for occasional use and for short stand periods. So, if you're looking for inexpensive, affordable party tents that aren't needed all year round, FLEX party tents are the right choice for you. Our PE party tents can be found using the filter on this page. They are available in various tear strengths[25] starting from ca. 350 N, extending to a tear strength[25] of 550 N.
The most important differences between PVC and PE tarpaulins
From FLEX Light marquees to PRO Ultra: What’s the difference?
Our marquees feature 3 types of frame
We offer the following marquee models across our two product lines: Light, Smart, Plus and Ultra. The quality categories represent differences in tarpaulin strength, frame construction and stability.
Our PRO garden marquees have the strongest tarpaulins. PVC is a highly robust material, and therefore our professional PVC marquees are most suitable for long-term use. FLEX Light models feature a basic frame with a light-weight tarpaulin. You can see a comparison of the strength of tarpaulins in different models in the tables below.
Marquees with base frames (ground bars) and roof reinforcements are especially strong. The standard diameter of our poles is 38 mm, and 42 mm for connecting joints. This increases to an incredibly robust 50 mm for the leg and roof poles and 54 mm for connectors in PRO Ultra PVC tents.
The standard side wall height for our products is 2 m. We also have large tents for sale with extra high 2.6 metre sides. At the apex, the height of these party tents is 3.40 m. These tents have a sturdier frame so are ideal for commercial purposes.
In the Smart, Plus & Ultra product ranges as well as PRO Light, individual frame components are secured with bolts that pass through all connecting elements. FLEX Light garden tents use a heavy-duty click-in system using a wide, solid steel spring. These connecting systems provide a sturdy, reliable frame that meets the demands of everyday use.
PRO PVC Marquees: Long-life & durable
Smart | Plus | Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Frame | |||
Fully galvanised steel frame | |||
Strong double bolted connections | |||
Pole diameters (ca.) | 42 / 38 mm | 42 / 38 mm | 54 / 50 mm |
Roof supports | Basic | Intermediate | Maximum |
Ground bar | |||
Corner braces | * | ||
Tarpaulin | |||
Strong PVC | |||
Tear strength[25] | 700 N | 750 N | 800 - 1400 N |
UV protection factor | 50+ | 50+ | 50+ |
Extended ground skirting | |||
Individually removable side panels | |||
Ventilation windows | * | ||
Other | |||
Sidewall height | 2.0 m | 2.0 m | 2.0 m und 2.6 m |
Extendable in length and width | |||
Optional Safety Plus Package | * |
* Applies only to marquees with a side wall height of 2.6 m.
FLEX PE Marquees: Lightweight & easy to handle
Light | Smart | Plus | |
---|---|---|---|
Frame | |||
Fully galvanised steel frame | |||
Strong double bolted connections | |||
Innovative click system | |||
Roof supports | Basic | Basic | Intermediate |
Ground bar | |||
Tarpaulin | |||
High quality PE | |||
Tear strength[25] | 350 N | 450 N | 550 N |
UV protection factor | - | 30+ | 30+ |
Extended ground skirting | |||
Individually removable side panels | |||
Other | |||
Sidewall height | 2.0 m | 2.0 m | 2.0 m |
Extendable in length and width |
The right size marquee for your needs
In order to ensure that your party tent is neither too big nor too small, the following marquee size guide can be used to roughly calculate the tent size required:
when standing, an attendee requires 0.5 m² of space
a seated guest requires approximately 0.7 m² on average
with long trestle tables and benches, each person requires approximately 0.8 m²
with tables and chairs, expect people to need between 1 to 1.2 m² when seated at a table.
Thus, a small marquee of 3x6 m would cater for approximately 36 people standing and is suitable as a 20 persons tent for seated guests. Meanwhile a large marquee of 5 x 10 m is big enough for 100 people standing or 70 people seated. A 4 x 6 m tent meanwhile provides enough space for 48 people standing or 34 people seated.
Of course, you will also need to account for the dimensions of your outdoor area. For non-square gardens or spaces, you have the option of customising the shape of the structure to suit your needs using connecting gutters to combine tents. Don't forget to account for any other space you will use within the tent, such as a dance floor, buffet tables, or the aisles.
Assembly of marquees
Short assembly times make these a great option for a birthday party or wedding. The more complex a structure, the more time is required for assembly. If the garden tent features a base frame (ground bar) and roof reinforcement, it will take longer to erect as more components need fixing.
Party marquee set up is easy and doesn’t require any additional tools. Usually, an Allen key is all that's required - and it is included with the tent. Frame components of the tent are labelled and easy to identify during assembly. The assembly instructions are simple and guide you through the setup step by step. If you ever misplace your copy of the instructions, these can be downloaded from the website. In addition, helpful videos can be found on our YouTube channel. We recommend the use of a ladder if assembling a marquee with walls higher than 2 m.
Useful storage and transport bags
When dismantled, the outdoor marquees can be conveniently transported and stored in special storage bags made from hard-wearing Oxford material. With correct use and good care, you will be able to enjoy your marquee over many years, and countless parties.
Marquee spare parts and repair
A major advantage of shopping with a specialist retailer is that, should you need them, you have a great chance of finding spare parts. Buy marquees from a general retailer and you’ll struggle to get hold of the marquee spare parts you need, whether it’s covers, frame parts or strengthening accessories. For most of our products, we guarantee the availability of spare parts for 10 years from the date of purchase. Alternatively, when it comes to the waterproof tarpaulins, marquee repair is also an option. Learn more in our magazine article on the repair of PE and PVC tarpaulins.
Practical advice and tips for marquees
Frequently asked questions about marquees
What is a marquee?
How much is a marquee?
What does it cost to hire a marquee?
How to decorate a marquee
How long can a marquee stay standing?
How to build your own marquee flooring?
Expert Customer Service
We have a team of tent experts ready to take your call or answer emails
throughout the week. Whether its questions about specific marquee parts,
or the practicality of setting up a garden tent in difficult terrain or
to answer any questions that you might have either before or after
you’ve bought a tent, we’re happy to hear from you.
Expert advice