Tent size calculator
The calculator uses 1.4 m² per seated guest and 1.9 m² with a dance floor — the working averages for banquet rounds with serving space.
Tent size chart by guest count
| Guests (seated) | Area needed | Tent options |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | ~28 m² | 5m × 6m frame / 6m × 6m pole |
| 30 | ~42 m² | 5m × 9m frame / 5m × 10m stretch |
| 40 | ~56 m² | 5m × 12m / 7m × 9m |
| 50 | ~70 m² | 5m × 10m frame is the classic 50-seater |
| 60 | ~84 m² | 7m × 12m / 10m × 9m |
| 80 | ~112 m² | 7m × 15m / 10m × 12m stretch |
| 100 | ~140 m² | 10m × 15m frame or pole |
| 150 | ~210 m² | 10m × 21m / 15m × 15m |
| 200 | ~280 m² | 10m × 30m / 15m × 20m |
| 250 | ~350 m² | 15m × 24m |
| 300 | ~420 m² | 15m × 30m |
| 500 | ~700 m² | 20m × 40m or two joined marquees |
Add the dance floor before you book
A dance floor adds about 0.5 m² per guest — 100 guests with dancing need ~190 m², which moves the tent from 10m × 15m to 10m × 20m. The same shift applies to buffet tables, a stage or a bar corner: every function element is floor area. Undersizing is the most common Durban hire mistake, and it shows the moment the first course clears.
Stretch tents seat fewer per square metre
Stretch fabric curves cost usable floor near the edges, so a stretch tent seats 10–15% fewer guests than a marquee of equal footprint — an 80-guest stretch function books 10m × 15m where a frame tent manages 100. Cocktail-style flips the maths: standing functions pack 1 m² per guest, so the same 10m × 15m stretch holds 130 standing.
From size to price
With the size fixed, the bands in tent hire prices in Durban give the rand range, and the type guides — marquee hire in Durban, stretch tent hire in Durban, frame tent hire — settle which structure fits your site. All types of tents for hire are compared in the type guide.
Tent sizing questions
What size tent do I need for 100 guests?
100 seated guests need about 140 m² — a 10m × 15m frame or peg-and-pole tent. With a dance floor, allow ~190 m² and move up to 10m × 20m.
What size tent do I need for 50 guests?
50 seated guests need about 70 m² — the 5m × 10m frame tent is the standard 50-seater, with a 7m × 7m or 10m × 7m as alternatives.
What size tent for 100 guests with a dance floor?
About 190 m². The dance floor adds roughly 0.5 m² per guest on top of the 1.4 m² seating allowance, so book a 10m × 20m rather than the 10m × 15m.
What size tent do I need for 300 guests?
300 seated guests need about 420 m² — a 15m × 30m marquee. At this scale peg-and-pole structures on open lawn give the lowest per-seat cost.