A marquee for music

What could be more peaceful than spending an afternoon or evening listening to a variety of classical music? Are you picturing a quiet and serene setting, including music ranging from Beethoven symphonies to soloists from the Royal Opera House?  We were lucky enough to be the marquee supplier for such a spectacular event, held in Marylebone, London this year. We couldn’t be more excited to be part of a live music event after 18 months of Covid-restrictions.

Setting the scene

On the 24^th – 26^th of June 2021, the beautiful area of Manchester Square Gardens was transformed. By installing our marquee we covered the space to create a large concert venue. We were more than honoured to work with the team at Marylebone Music Festival. Not only as we have an established partnership with the team there, but also to provide a space to work with lots of artists. These are artists who have not been on stage or performing concerts for the past 18 months. All due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.

Installation time

We had a tight turnaround to install this large marquee, with just one day before the festival went live. However we managed to provide a warm and inviting space to welcome 200 guests on the first evening of the festival. We also had a short window within which to de-rig the marquee. With the help of our fantastic team and patient client, we got the marquee down quicker than expected, with a happy team on both sides.

How we did it

The air was electric, the marquee was full to the brim (as full as it could be due to maintaining social distancing and adhering to Covid-19 guidelines). 50% of the marquee was left open to adhere to these guidelines, giving the audience a glimpse of the beautiful gardens. There was an atmosphere of calmness with various fairy lights draped across the many trees within the gardens.

This was the first time the team at the Marylebone Music Festival held all of their performances in one place. A normal year would have various marquees around the area of Marylebone, creating a performance hub. With the vast space at Manchester Square Gardens, we were able to use our larger marquee sizes (15 x 27 metres), to create two main areas. There was an area for the artists to perform on, which required hard flooring and carpets and an area for the spectators of course. This also meant seating was required and we brought in 200+ comfortable bistro chairs to set the formal entertainment scene.

Music to your ears…

This is not our first rodeo when it comes to music festivals and it won’t be our last. One of the main aims of our business is not only to create more space but to ensure the happiest clients around, and working with clients that make us just as happy too. Whether you are looking to run a small- or large-scale music festival, or perhaps you would like to host a smaller music event with a private band in your garden, we’ve got your covered.

“Outstanding service. We have found booking the Marquee, flooring, lighting and chairs so easy with this company. Highly recommend them.

Thank you to all at Trafalgar Marquees for all your help with our event”.

Jan Cassidy, CEO Orion Orchestra

Photo credit: Edward Baxter