Weddings

Planning a party? Empty Quarter Events bring the venue to you…

Ease, flexibility and boujee boho style – with authentic South African stretch tent hire, you can tick “stress about venue” off your party planning list.

Written by Becky Hardy
Published 29.04.2023

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They can be limiting, overly public and expensive, and yet every event needs one.

A venue.

Somewhere to get the party started in style. Heck, even venues need venues – overspill seating areas, upgraded patios, outdoor terraces and beer gardens, winter wonderlands and hygge huts… since the pandemic developed in all of us a newfound love for outdoor entertainment, we’ve seen an ever-growing need for businesses (and our gardens) to expand their hospitality offering.

The best answer to this demand? Empty Quarter Events.

This wife-and-husband dream team lived in Newcastle upon Tyne before they embarked on what would be a career-igniting adventure through the United Arab Emirates and know a thing or two about dressing an event space.

Did you visit Tin of Sardines in Roker this winter? Or Thor’s Winter Garden in Leeds over Christmas? Yep, those boujee outdoor spaces are all down to the ingenuity of Empty Quarter Events.

And the secret to their success? Stretch tents.

WHAT ARE STRETCH TENTS?

A party planner’s best friend.

Stretch tents are to events planning what iPhones are to online shopping: they just make everything easier.

They’re not a camping tent. They’re not a marquee. And they’re not a tipi. They’re decidedly more flexible. More alternative. More elegant.

Based on the design of traditional Bedouin tents, stretch tents were born and perfected in Cape Town, South Africa. Designed to withstand high coastal winds, strong summer sunshine and unpredictable rainfall, they’re perfect for life in the UK.

Planning your wedding but your dream venue is fully booked? Want to expand and weather-proof your bar’s beer garden? Been tasked with creating this year’s winter wonderland but don’t know where to start?

Stretch tent hire.

Stretch tents are a sharp yet simple way of bringing the indoors out and the outdoors in. From cosy garden parties to festival weddings, outdoor terraces and urban events, there’s a size, style and set-up of stretch tent to suit every gathering.

WHY ARE STRETCH TENTS PERFECT FOR PARTIES?

Come on guys – we live in the North East. Whatever we have planned at any given time of year, there’s a high chance we’ll get rained on.

Stretch tent hire side-steps that little problem without sacrificing any of your event’s bohemian verve or laidback lustre. These party tents are strong, sturdy and durable – meaning they’ll still be standing after the storm and long into the night.

Permanent stretch tents

Empty Quarter Events work closely with their manufacturers in South Africa to create custom stretch tents made for you. So, whether you’re a restaurateur searching for a hardy awning for your outdoor terrace or a homeowner looking for some patio shelter, their permanent stretch tents have literally got you covered.

Semi-permanent stretch tents

Organising a festival? Birthday party? Monthly pop-up event? You’ll need something a little more flexible. Something like Empty Quarter’s semi-permanent stretch tents, which can be erected in pretty much any location, while their team will be on hand for set-ups and de-rigs as and when they’re needed.

WHO ARE EMPTY QUARTER EVENTS?

Empty Quarter Events are the OGs of stretch tent hire in the North.

Fuelled by a love of adventure, the business has its origins way back in 2009 when founders Abbey and Lukas first visited the United Arab Emirates. Falling in love with the adventure to be found amongst the sand dunes, deserts, mountains and wadis, the couple decided to live in the UAE for 10 years – during which time they discovered Rub’ al Khali: the Empty Quarter.

Encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian peninsula, the Empty Quarter is an awe-inspiring landscape which, to Abbey and Lukas, symbolised the beauty of exploration and movement. It’s a seemingly endless expanse of desert which at once feels both empty and full of life.

The experience galvanised the couple to finally follow their long-harboured dreams of starting their own business. And they chose stretch tents because they’re inspired by the nomadic nature of the desert.

NOT JUST STRETCH TENTS…

We know what you’re thinking – these stretch tents sound great and all, but they also sound a little… draughty.

Fear not, our cold-weather compatriots, because Empty Quarter Events are by no means going to leave your party quarters empty.

Providing everything from matting and furniture to festoon lighting and heating, as well as the venue itself, Empty Quarter Events promise to have everything you’ll need to not only make your event the epitome of Scandi-style, but functional, warm and comfortable, too.

Empty Quarter Events can provide:

  • 6ft x 3ft dark wood trestle table
  • Dark, rustic, cross-back chairs
  • Dark wood benches
  • Trotec heater (18-hour continuous heat source)
  • Standing gas heaters
  • Festoon lighting and walkways
  • Shepherd Crooks
  • Reclaimed wooden barrels
  • Brown leather Chesterfield sofa

And stay tuned – they have a dancefloor coming later this year, too.

All hire prices are available on request.

WHY USE EMPTY QUARTER EVENTS FOR STRETCH TENT HIRE?

Because their stretch tents are among the best in the UK.

Empty Quarter Events provide stretch tent hire for garden parties, weddings, pop-ups, outdoor shelter solutions… whatever event you can think of, they’ve hosted it. They know their stuff and have mastered speedy set-ups and de-rigs down to an art.

While the business is based in York, their stretch tents come directly from Cape Town, South Africa, meaning they’re as authentic as they come. Available in a range of sizes to suit your event, all tents are pre-treated with a water-repellent, fire-retardant, anti-microbial solution and a Teflon finish to ensure longevity in the face of the elements and are designed to be rigged without breaking.

Better yet, Empty Quarter Events can also develop customised stretch tents and shelter options completely bespoke to your space – so you can be sure they’ll fit in even the trickiest of spots.

When it comes to strength, functionality, style and flexibility, Empty Quarter Events’ stretch tents are at the cutting edge of fabric science.

WHAT ARE THEIR STRETCH TENT PACKAGES?

From intimate garden parties to lavish weddings, winter wonderlands to summer festivals and pop-up events to year-round spaces, Empty Quarter Events have the stretch tent for you…

 

Baby Bedouin

5m x 7.5m small stretch tent

Empty Quarter Events’ “Baby” is their smallest and sweetest stretch tent. Ideal for garden parties or as a bar or band shelter at a wedding, she can fit into most spaces. Don’t be fooled, though – she may look small, but she can still seat 36 people at maximum capacity.

Price: starting from £500 for a standard four-night hire, inclusive of periphery festoon lighting. Long-term rental is available at a deducted price.

Miss Mira

7.5m x 10m medium stretch tent

The original and quite possibly the best. Miss Mira has had her fun out in the Dubai desert but is now firmly back on UK soil and ready to work.

The beauty of Miss Mira is that she’s small enough for large garden spaces yet large enough to host pop-up events, semi-permanent seasonal structures and intimate outdoor weddings, with a maximum seated capacity of 60 guests.

Price: starting from £800 for a standard four-night hire, inclusive of periphery festoon lighting. Pull-down side panels and a heater are also available as additionals for cold weather. Long-term rental is also available.

Jumierah Jane

10m x 15m large stretch tent

The “big sister” of the Empty Quarter Events family, JJ can comfortably seat 80 guests and hold up to 100 at maximum capacity. She’s perfect for medium and large weddings, a festival or party tent, or as a long-term winter shelter for city centres and stately homes.

Price: starting from £1,850 for a standard four-night hire, inclusive of periphery festoon lighting. Pull-down side panels, timber walling and heaters are also available as additionals for cold weather. Long-term rental is also available.

The Twins

15m x 20m or 10m x 30m extra-large stretch tent

Pairing their two Jumeriah Jane stretch tents together, Empty Quarter Events can offer a shelter solution for those extra-large event spaces. Able to seat more than 150 guests, this twin tent is ideal for large weddings and festivals and has the flexibility to measure either 15m x 20m or 10m x 30m, depending on which sides of the two tents are connected.

Price: starting from £3,300 for a standard four-night hire. Long-term rental is available at a deducted price.

To find out more about hiring a stretch tent and letting Empty Quarter Events bring your party or wedding venue to you, visit their website

And for events inspo and party planning hacks, you can also follow Empty Quarter Events on Facebook and Instagram

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