Buying Guide

Frame marquee vs. stretch tent

Two ways to cover an event, and they suit very different sites. Here is which one to choose.

The short answer

Choose a frame marquee when you need clear span and a rectangular floor, especially on tarmac or concrete. Choose a stretch tent when the site is awkward, such as a slope, a courtyard or a lawn with a tree in the middle, and the shape of the tent should follow the ground. Get Custom Tents makes both, printed to your artwork.

Side by side

	Frame marquee	Stretch tent
Structure	Clear-span aluminium box-section frame, no centre poles	Four-way tensile fabric on perimeter and centre poles
Shape	Rectangular, extendable in bays	Free-form, pitched high on one side and low on another
Size	3m to 15m wide, extendable in bays	Common spans to 15m x 20m
Printing	Dye-sublimated roof and wall panels, seam to seam; roof is printable	A printed valance or one large mark; artwork distorts across the tensioned curve
Walls	Solid, glazed or doorway sidewalls	Fabric pulled down to the ground as a windbreak
Anchoring	Stakes on grass, ballast on hard standing	Stakes or weighted bases
Best site	Venues, festivals and tarmac or concrete where nothing can be staked	Walled gardens, courtyards, slopes and sites with trees
Teardown	Capital kit with a frame that lasts multiple seasons with care	The fastest large structure to strike
Lead time	About 2 weeks; large structures can take longer	About 2 weeks; large structures can take longer

When a frame marquee is the right call

A frame marquee carries its load in the frame rather than on poles and guy ropes, so the whole floor area is usable and the structure can sit on hard standing where nothing can be staked. Panels are dye-sublimated, so artwork goes right to the seam, and the roof is the panel people forget: from a first-floor window or a drone shot it is the only thing anybody sees. Sidewalls, glazed windows and doorways are specified separately and can change between events. See printed frame marquees and sidewalls, flooring and weights.

When a stretch tent is the right call

A stretch tent has no fixed footprint. The fabric can be pitched high on one side and low on another, wrapped around a tree, run up against a building or pulled to the ground as a windbreak, all with the same piece of kit. It is the answer where a rectangular structure will not fit and it silhouettes better in photographs than a box. Printing is usually restrained, a solid colour with a printed valance or a single large mark. See stretch tents.

Anchoring and wind

Both structures need to be held down properly, and both come with a written wind rating and a de-rig threshold from Get Custom Tents. A frame marquee on hard standing needs ballast sized per leg rather than stakes; a stretch tent can use stakes or weighted bases. In wind, drop the sidewalls first and then strike the roof. Read more on anchoring and wind ratings.

The verdict

Pick a frame marquee for clear span, a printed roof and a structure you will reprint and reuse across seasons.

Pick a stretch tent for awkward ground, a shape that follows the site and the fastest teardown.

Send your span, site surface and artwork for a free mockup: get a custom quote and we reply within one business day. Standard turnaround is about 2 weeks.

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