Outdoor bars and dance floors

Recommended zoning for outdoor events and marquees

Zone	Best position	Recommended area	Setup point
Outdoor dance floor	Next to the bar and the DJ	0.3 – 0.4 m² / guest	A level platform, so nobody trips
Main bar	At the far side of the dance floor	6 – 8 linear metres (150 guests)	Two cocktail stations and ice
Chill-out area	Set back, 15 m from the music	20 – 30 m² with sofas and shade	Warm, indirect lighting
Food stations / show cooking	Fanned out facing the garden	3 × 2 m per station	Its own power supply and water

1. The golden triangle: DJ, dance floor and bar

The bar and the DJ booth should always be on the same axis and within sight of each other. Put the bar at one end of the garden and the dance floor at the other, and the crowd splits in two and the party loses its energy.

2. Pointing the sound, and local noise rules

Point the speakers away from the neighbouring boundary and in towards the grounds or the marquee. Night-time noise limits are set locally, so check the ones that apply to the venue before the event, not after the first complaint.

3. A plan B for wind or unexpected rain

Every outdoor plan needs an indoor alternative, agreed with the couple in advance, that lets the party move inside in under 45 minutes if the weather turns.

Frequently asked questions

How many metres of bar do you need for 200 people?

Allow at least 8 to 10 linear metres staffed by 3 or 4 bartenders, so the queue never goes beyond a couple of minutes once the bar opens.

What surface does an outdoor dance floor need?

Never dance directly on grass or soft ground. A treated timber platform or a levelled modular floor is essential.

This, in MisePlan

Floor plan

In MisePlan you draw the room’s real outline on a grid — whatever shape it is, L-shaped or with a cut corner — place the columns and set the doors. The usable floor area is worked out with the voids taken out, not from the rectangle around it, and that plan is reused for every event that passes through the room.

How to lay out bars, food stations and the dance floor outdoors

Recommended zoning for outdoor events and marquees

1. The golden triangle: DJ, dance floor and bar

2. Pointing the sound, and local noise rules

3. A plan B for wind or unexpected rain

Frequently asked questions

How many metres of bar do you need for 200 people?

What surface does an outdoor dance floor need?

Draw gardens, marquees and outdoor areas to scale

This, in MisePlan

Floor plan

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Keep reading

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Distance between banquet tables and aisles

How to quote a banquet from the plan

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