Gala Tent Marquee decorated for a wedding with attendees dancing

Marquee Party Ideas

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Published Date: 24th September 2024
Last Updated: 2 days ago

Ideas That Make Your Party Shine

With the increasing popularity - and sometimes necessity - of hosting celebrations at home and in your garden, the popularity of using party tent marquees and pop-up gazebos to host them under has also skyrocketed. Up and down the country, gardens have been filled with colourful gazebos and elegant marquees, and inside those, happy revellers making up for lost time in the post-pandemic era.

The real beauty of a temporary structure that can be brought out on-demand for hosting garden parties is their versatility. Don’t think of a marquee as a frame and covers just doing its job of sheltering you. A pop-up gazebo isn’t just somewhere you sit to get out of the rain! Think of your marquee as a pub function room or beer garden. Your gazebo is a tropical beach hut under which to enjoy an ice-cold mojito with friends and family. There are many different types of party you can throw that will be instantly improved by the addition of a marquee or pop-up gazebo.


If you’re looking for party inspiration, then here are our Top 7 marquee party ideas for when you’re celebrating at home.


A garden gazebo with a projector shows a clip from the TV show Friends.

Outdoor Cinema Party. With thick PVC covered marquees, the light transmission is minimal, especially when they have their privacy blinds rolled down. This assisted darkness makes it an ideal environment to get the projector out, invite some friends round and laze around on some beanbags on the grass with popcorn, to enjoy an afternoon or evening of watching your favourite films together. If it’s an evening party, why not take off the sidewalls to get that real outdoor cinema feel?

Equally, pop-up gazebos with black covers create an intimate feeling, where you can settle down and watch the movie of your choice.

Rave Tent. Gala Tent marquees have been used by secret ravers for ages. They just didn’t tell you! Marquees make for excellent night-time party tents, especially in remote locations where the neighbours can’t complain. Outdoor raves have been a popular event for decades, and a good quality marquee can make a great sheltered space to throw shapes, whatever the weather.


Live Sport Parties. Us Brits really do love to get together with friends and family to watch our national teams and sportspeople compete on the world stage. Whether it’s the football or rugby World Cup, Wimbledon, or the Olympics, we love to cheer our nation on (when they’re doing well!). During these competitions, hundreds of Gala Tent customers will get the marquee pitched up for the duration, bring out the furniture and invite their friends round to watch it in the garden.


Themed Party Tent. Because a marquee is such a neutral and open structure, they lend themselves very well to completely transforming into whatever the theme is. You want line-dancing, boot scootin’ hoedown party? Get some hay bales in and away you go! Halloween party for the kids? Hang cobwebs, spiders and skeletons from the roof, roll down the privacy blinds and party the night away! Roaring 20s Great Gatsby or gangster party? Hire a bar, and art deco ornaments and put a dancefloor down. The possibilities are endless.


A Gala Tent Marquee outdoor party marquee

Music Festival Party. If you have the space in your garden then get a large marquee in there, bring your camping chairs and beers in a cool box, and get one of your talented friends to put on an intimate private gig, or why not go the whole shebang and hire a local covers band to really get the party started? There’s nothing that can liven up a celebration like live music.

Kids Foam Party. The smooth, wipe-clean covers of PVC marquees make them ideal for hosting wet parties, so why not hire a foam machine and give the kids a real garden treat? The walls of all good marquees should come with privacy blinds too, so you’ll have real confidence when it comes to safeguarding your little ones.


Dinner Party. Take it down a few levels from the banging rave, and enjoy a civilised and relaxing meal with friends and family in a garden marquee. Throw in some lighting and heating to make the atmosphere even more inviting and your guests would swear they were on the French Riviera. Small marquees, such as 3m x 6m or 4m x 4m are ideal sizes for hosting an intimate evening of food and drinks.

An inside view of a marquee decorated with furniture and buntings for a party


We hope that this great list has provided food for thought for your next garden gathering, let us know if you have any other amazing ideas for garden party ideas. Send us some images of your very own parties, and we'll be delighted to share them across our social media platforms. If you're tempted by a marquee to host the next family gathering then Gala Tent sells a range of fabulous marquees in sizes from 3m x 2m all the way up to 9m x 30m. Our team of experts can be contacted on 01709 242454 or simply hit one of the buttons below and we'll be in touch quickly to provide honest, reliable advice.


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Date Published : 24th September 2024

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About the author

Ryan Bracha Author Linked In icon

Managing Director of GEM
Ryan Bacha is a passionate leader in marketing, with a strong enthusiasm for writing, creativity, and data analysis. His work is defined by a keen eye for detail and innovative thinking.



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