Marquee safety in the UK: wind, fire, anchoring and the rules that apply

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Marquee Assembly team

Short answer: Marquee safety in the UK is guided by BS EN 13782, the standard for temporary fabric structures, and the MUTA Best Practice Guide. For business and public events, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales requires a fire risk assessment, and organisers should have a wind plan with a set evacuation wind speed, flame-retardant fabrics, clear exits and anchoring designed for the ground.

Marquee safety in the UK: wind, fire, anchoring and the rules that apply

The standards and guidance

Reference	What it covers
BS EN 13782	Design, materials, wind loads, anchorage and inspection of tents and temporary fabric structures
MUTA Best Practice Guide	UK industry guidance on safe building, use and inspection of temporary structures
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005	Fire risk assessment duties for non-domestic premises in England and Wales
Purple Guide	Widely used guidance for health and safety at outdoor events and festivals
HSE guidance on overhead power lines	Safe working near overhead electricity lines

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety legislation with similar duties. None of these makes a private garden party complicated, but they shape how a professional company builds and how a public or business event is planned.

Wind: the biggest risk

Marquees are designed to cope with normal UK weather, including rain and moderate wind. Every structure also has a limit. The manufacturer or designer sets the wind speed the structure is designed for and the speed at which people should leave it. Your marquee company should tell you that figure and agree what happens if strong winds are forecast.

Check the forecast in the days before and on the day
Keep doors and walls closed in strong wind, because wind getting inside increases the load on the structure
Use an anemometer at larger events to measure gusts on site
Agree who decides to evacuate and where guests will go
Do not let guests or staff loosen fixings or open walls to let air through in windy weather

Anchoring and the ground

A marquee is only as safe as its fixings. On grass, structures are held with steel stakes whose number and length depend on the structure and the soil, and pole marquees also rely on guy ropes. On hard standing, ballast weights are used, calculated for the structure size. Weights that are too light or too few are a common cause of structures moving in wind.

Before any stakes go in, the site should be checked for buried electricity cables, gas and water pipes, drains and irrigation. Site plans help, and a cable avoidance tool is used on larger or unfamiliar sites. A stake through a buried cable can be fatal, and a hole in a pipe can flood the site. Overhead power lines also need a safe distance, especially when long poles and frame sections are being lifted.

Fire safety

Marquee fabrics and linings should be flame-retardant, with certificates available
Exits should be clearly marked, kept clear and sized for the number of guests
Evening events need emergency lighting so people can find exits if the power fails
Fire extinguishers should be provided, especially near catering and generators
Heaters should be indirect, positioned outside, with ducts and fuel away from fabric
No candles or naked flames near linings, and no smoking inside
Cooking should usually be in a separate catering tent with its own risk assessment

For business and public events, the fire risk assessment is a legal duty and normally falls on the event organiser or venue. For private parties at home there is less formal duty, but the same practical steps apply.

During the event

Someone should be responsible for the marquee while it is in use. That means keeping exits clear, watching the weather, making sure heaters and power are working safely, and knowing what to do if the structure has to be cleared. At multi-day events, fixings, tension and guy ropes should be checked each day, particularly after rain or wind, because wet ground can loosen stakes.

Occupancy and exits

Every marquee has a safe number of occupants, which depends on its size, the layout and the number and width of exits. For business and public events, exit capacity should be part of the fire risk assessment, and guidance generally expects at least two exits that lead in different directions, so people are not trapped if one is blocked. Exits must stay unlocked, unobstructed and clearly signed while guests are inside.

In practice, layouts often fail on exits rather than floor space. Tables pushed close to a side door, a bar across an exit or a band set up in front of a doorway can all reduce safe capacity. Agree exit positions with the marquee company before the table plan is finalised.

What you can do as a host

Tell the company about any known buried services, drains or septic tanks
Keep the area clear and mown before the build
Do not move or adjust stakes, weights, ropes or walls after the build
Keep decorations clear of heaters and lights, and check they are flame-retardant
Know the evacuation plan and who to call if there is a problem