Bell Tent Hire for Festivals, Weddings and Events

A 5m (16ft) bell tent has roughly 19m² of internal floor space, with headroom around 3m in the centre dropping to 1m at the walls.

A 5m bell tent takes a trained pair around 15-20 minutes to pitch (lay groundsheet, raise centre pole, peg out, dress with optional A-frame door). DIY first-timers should budget 30-45 minutes. Our team sets up the day before so guests just turn up.

Most bell tents are heavy-duty cotton canvas (around 285-360gsm), with a sewn-in or zip-in PVC groundsheet. The cotton breathes (no condensation), is naturally weather-resistant, and lasts decades if stored dry. Cheaper bell tents use polyester, lighter and waterproof but they don't breathe and feel plasticky inside.

Brush off mud and debris when dry. Spot-clean with a soft sponge, lukewarm water and a bell-tent-safe cleaner (no detergent, it strips the waterproofing). Never pressure-wash. Let canvas air-dry fully before packing, packing damp causes mildew, the main killer of bell tents.

A quality cotton canvas bell tent looked after well lasts 10-15 years of regular use. Sun (UV) and damp storage are the main enemies. Polyester bell tents typically last 3-5 years before fabric breakdown.

Both are circular canvas structures, but yurts have rigid wooden walls and a cross-lattice frame, making them taller, heavier, and harder to put up. Bell tents have one centre pole with canvas hanging in a cone shape. Bell tents are quicker to pitch, more portable, and cheaper. Yurts are more permanent, warmer, and feel more like a building.

Teepees use multiple poles meeting at the top in a tall cone (think Native American). Bell tents have one central pole with the canvas draped around it, giving a shorter, wider profile. Bell tents have more usable interior floor space at adult head height. Teepees look more dramatic outside.

Yes, with the right kit. Cotton canvas insulates well, you can fit a wood-burning stove (many models have a stove jack), and a thick bell-tent groundsheet plus camping rug keeps the cold floor at bay. Most UK winter bell-tent users layer up with proper bedding (down duvets, fleece liners). Snow loads are manageable on properly tensioned canvas.

Each tent's footprint (about 6m × 6m, see above) works out to roughly 25 per acre (4,000m²) without crowding. We typically space at 2-3m apart for privacy, which is 15-20 tents per acre in event setups.

Bell tents trace back to British Army tents from the 19th century, the conical canvas shape was the standard military issue for over a century. Civilians adopted them in the 2000s as part of the glamping boom. The modern bell tent kept the shape and added improvements: heavier canvas, sewn-in groundsheet, proper guying.