Marquees for sale, party tents for sale & heavy duty marquees for sale | DIY Marquees

Garden Marquees

Waterproof
Easy to erect
Long Lasting

Classic Marquees

Classic Garden Marquees

Classic Marquees are perfect for garden use, they're easy to erect, good quality and 100% waterproof. Suitable for any private event that needs protection from the British weather.

The Classic range is often used by private individuals (and some hire companies) to provide a durable shelter at reasonable prices.

  • Steel Framework
  • 100% PVC
  • 100% waterproof
  • Weather Resistant
  • Long Lasting

Premium DIY Marquees

Premium Garden Marquees

The Premium range uses the same strong steel framework as our classic marquees but boasts very heavy 650gsm PVC covers. These are very strong and long-lasting.

  • Ultimate Strength
  • 100% 650gsm PVC
  • Heavy Duty Covers
  • Year-round Performance
  • Steel Frame

Traditional Marquees

Classic Traditional Marquees

The Classic Traditional range offers beautifully crafted structures that are easy to erect and much quicker than a steel framed marquee. The sloping roof lines make them a very attractive choice for many gardens.

  • Easy to Erect
  • Quick to Erect
  • Cost Effective
  • 100% PVC
  • Traditional Aesthetic

Marquee accessories for sale

Our marquees have a wide range of accessories to improve the look and experience of your marquee.

  • Our marquee tie downs are ideal for anchoring marquees down on grass or any other soft surfaces. Available in orange (for visibility, ideal for public events) or white (ideal for weddings). We recommend one ratchet strap and stake for each leg of the marquee for the best strength.
  • Our marquee over straps are designed to tie-down the marquee in more adverse weather conditions and should be used in conjunction with our original tie-down kit. They consist of longer, thicker stakes than the original kit and stronger 51mm wide x 15 metre long ratchet straps which should go over the whole marquee.
  • Our marquee carpet flooring is easy to lay whilst giving one of the best finishes available in a marquee using new carpet, available in red, green or honeybeige.
  • Festoon lighting can be fitted to any DIY Marquee. Each string of festoons comes with 10 x LED bulbs.
  • Our marquee carry bags and boxes are manufactured specifically for our DIY Marquees. Strong large boxes for the knuckles and bags with handles for the poles and sides.
PVC marquees

High quality PVC marquees

Over the many years of manufacturing and supplying marquees we have used a wide variety of different PVC materials. We have come to the conclusion that while other cheaper alternatives are available and can be described as the same weight there really is no substitute for quality and now exclusively use Duracoretex™ PVC in all of our PVC DIY Marquees.

Our PVC has been tested not only in the laboratories of Intertek testing but more importantly in the experience of the many marquee professionals we supply.


Party tents, Commercial, Professional and Traditional Marquees

6x12m traditional DIY Marquee

Having built up and successfully run one of the leading marquee hire companies in the UK, we now use that experience in advising other hire companies and designing and supplying commercial quality marquees, linings and accessories.

Our extensive range of high quality marquees available to buy online spans 52 different sizes from 3m x 2m up to 9m x 18m. This includes both clear-span and traditional style marquees.

From our economical Party Tents using 240gsm PE to our Deluxe Marquees using strong 50mm galvanised steel framework and heavy 650gsm PVC covers we've got marquees to suit all requirements.

Marquee covers are usually sold in two different types of material, PE and PVC. PE (polyethylene) is the cheaper, lighter material that many will be familiar with from garden centre style gazebos, and PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) which is far superior in strength and durability lasting roughly twice as long.

Marquee materials are described using "GSM" (grams per square metre). This is a measure of the materials weight. However, the strength in most PVC comes from tightly woven mesh at the core of the fabric which varies between manufacturers, meaning not all PVC is equal. We use a strong "rip-stop" core to ensure long lasting durability. The material has a polyester (terylene) mesh core with every 10th thread larger to resist ripping. All DIY Marquees PVC is flame retardant to British Standard 7837.


Marquees joined using a gutter

How to join marquees using a gutter

Marquees can be joined using a guttering kit. This consists of a 30cm or 60cm wide piece of PVC which is eyeleted down either side. This can be use to connect two or more marquees by standing them next to one another and using cable ties to create a gully with the marquee gutter. This allows water to flow into the gully and towards the end of the marquee and away.

Key points of fitting marquee gutters

  • Ensure the gutter has no kinks in it (more on that below)
  • Ensure there is a fall over the length of the marquee with no dips anywhere
  • Always test the guttering with a hosepipe (on to the roof of one marquee), the water should pour out the end and not sit anywhere along the gutter

Types of marquee framework

Types of marquee framework

We use a high quality galvanised steel frame in all of our marquees. Galvanising helps to prevent corrosion and often lasts longer than powder coated marquee frames and much more easily be restored.

Our Classic and Premium marquees offer a more basic 38/42mm steel framework whereas our Commercial and Professional have a more robust frame that includes ground bars, eaves braces and gable uprights. This also allows the user to split the end of the marquee into two metre sections giving greater flexability.

The strongest frames are our Deluxe marquees. They boast a 50/54mm steel framework with additional leg braces and a taller 2.3m leg height. These marquees are often used for longer periods of time or over the winter months as semi-permanent shelters.


Wedding marquees

Wedding marquees

Many of our customers have used their marquees as a wedding venue, the combination of linings, lighting and flooring makes a beautiful space for your special day. However, it isn't only the fact that they look fantastic, our marquees can often be more cost effective to purchase opposed to hiring a marquee fro your special day.

Marquees retain their value very well and will often not drop below 80% of the initial purchase price over their lifetime; especially when looked after. This has meant many couples use the marquee for their special day and sell it straight away to recoup the costs; making it cheaper than hiring.

Marquee spare parts

As former marquee erectors we know that if an accident happens you need the part to arrive urgently. Spares are available for all parts of our marquees including all framework and PVC parts and are usually dispatched within 24 hours of ordering. The person who bought our first marquee can still get spares for it today. We design all ranges to be backwards compatible for this reason.

Frequently asked marquee questions

  • PE (polyethylene) is like tarpaulin material and comes in 80-240gsm (grams per square metre) where the heavier the material the thicker it is and the longer lasting it is. Poly/PVC is seen as a halfway house between PE and PVC. It generally only has a PVC coating on one side. We do not use poly/PVC as it is an inferior product to 100% PVC. 100% PVC is the premier marquee material although can come in many different qualities. At DIY Marquees we only use Duracoretex™ PVC for added durability.

  • Marquee material is measured in weight, gsm stands for grams per square metre so one of the materials we use is 500grams per square metre PVC. Unfortunately that only tells half of the story as PVC is made up of many layers/coatings and the strength comes from the core material used (ie before the layers are added). We only use Duracoretex™ PVC with a reinforced core but there are much cheaper options available with a weaker core. Just because a fabric says 500gsm PVC doesn't mean it's heavy duty.

  • Eaves braces connect between the eave purlin and the mid-purlin of the metalwork. Over time marquees can suffer from water pooling on the roofs, eaves braces drastically reduce the chances of this occurring and lengthen the expected lifespan of the marquee.

  • Yes with all commercial, professional and deluxe marquees. They are a recommended extra on party tent and classic ranges. Ground bars add stability to any structure which is why we recommend them.

  • No but if you aren't using tie downs then you will require alternative equipment for anchoring the marquee down.

  • Yes though marquees always need anchoring down so you will need to use heavy weights or drill anchoring points in to the hard surface.

  • Yes though please be aware that in poor weather marquees perform much better with all side panels on (to avoid the effect of a large umbrella).

  • No. We've designed our marquees to be strong, durable but importantly easy to erect. Our most popular Commercial Marquee -6mx12m takes 3 people 3-4 hours initially but with experience 2 people can take as little as 2 hours.

Event planning articles:

Marquees in the winter

September is usually the last busy marquee month of the season. If you’re still very busy through October and the Christmas market then you’re doing very well. There is a change to the way people use marquees during the winter though: [...]

How to heat your marquee:

During Spring and summer months heating is generally only required to take the chill off later in the evening. During autumn and especially winter you should heat the marquee for a reasonable time before guests arrive to ensure a successful event. [...]

Seasonal weather

Working outdoors as a marquee erector you become a little more conscious of the weather than most. As mentioned previously when helping to plan weddings I found it useful to take along a list of that years sunset times to help plan lighting etc. [...]

How to clean a marquee

With most parts of the country suffering ‘a bit of rain’ recently cleaning your marquees suddenly shoots up your to-do list. And rightly so, storing your marquees away when wet ages them very quickly, especially windows. [...]