What Size Marquee Do I Need for 50, 100 or 150 Guests?

Written by the Brisbane Marquee Sales team · Last updated June 2026

The single most common question we get is "what size marquee do I need?" The answer depends on your guest count and what they'll be doing, standing with drinks, sitting in rows, or sitting down to dinner. This guide gives you a straight answer for 50, 100 and 150 guests, plus the simple formula to size any number in between.

The quick formula

Allow roughly:

• 0.6m² per guest standing (cocktail style)
• 0.9m² per guest seated in rows (ceremony style)
• 1.5m² per guest for seated dining (reception style)

Then add about 25% if you want a dance floor, bar, buffet or stage. Always size for your worst-weather plan, the day everyone needs to be under cover at once, not just a sunny afternoon.

Marquee size for 50 guests

For 50 standing you need ~30m²; for 50 seated dining you need ~75m². A 6x6m marquee (36m²) or two 9x3m marquees handle a standing party of 50 well. For a seated dinner of 50, step up to the 10x5m wedding marquee (50m²), which gives everyone a chair and room to move. The new 8x4m Wedding & Party Marquee (32m², $849) is a tidy single-unit option for a standing party of ~50, a fully enclosed room a step up from a gazebo.

Marquee size for 100 guests

One hundred guests standing needs ~60m²; seated dining needs ~150m². The honest answer here is that 100 seated diners is a two-marquee job, two 10x5m units joined or placed side by side, or one 10x5m for dining plus a 9x3m for the bar and food. For a standing/cocktail 100, a single 10x5m plus a 9x3m covers it comfortably.

Marquee size for 150 guests

One hundred and fifty standing needs ~90m²; seated dining needs ~225m². Our biggest single marquee, the 12x7m grand marquee (84m², ~140 standing, ~56 seated dining), covers a large standing crowd on its own. For a full seated 150, plan for multiple marquees, typically two to three 10x5m units, configured around a central space. Because you own the marquees, you can reuse them for every event after the big day.

At-a-glance size table

Marquee	Area	Standing	Seated (rows)	Dining
6x3m Marquee	18m²	~30	~20	~12
9x3m Marquee	27m²	~45	~30	~18
8x4m Wedding & Party Marquee	32m²	~50	~35	~20
6x6m Marquee	36m²	~60	~40	~24
10x5m Wedding Marquee	50m²	~80+	~55	~33
12x7m Grand Marquee	84m²	~140	~90	~56

Don't forget the extras

A dance floor adds roughly 12 to 15m² for a small event and more for a big one. A buffet or grazing table needs a few square metres of its own. A bar, a cake table, a DJ, all eat into the floor. When in doubt, size up: a slightly bigger marquee feels relaxed, a too-small one feels cramped on the day.

Get your exact size in 30 seconds

Enter your guest count and event style into our marquee size calculator and it'll tell you which marquee (or combination) fits. Curious about pricing too? See how much a wedding marquee costs, or browse the full range.

Free delivery Australia-wide, dispatched in ~2 days. Need a hand choosing? Email support@brisbanemarqueesales.com.au, real humans, we actually reply.

If you would rather compare the sizes side by side, see 6x3 versus 9x3 versus 6x6. For a particular occasion, read what size marquee suits a 21st or our backyard wedding marquee guide.

By the numbers

• 6 sq ft (about 0.56 m2) per person standing. For a standing crowd, allow roughly six square feet of floor space per guest so people can mingle in comfort. Source: Social Tables (Cvent) (2024).
• 11 to 12 sq ft (about 1.0 to 1.1 m2) per seated dining guest. A seated plated dinner at round tables needs a bit more room, around eleven to twelve square feet per guest. Source: Social Tables (Cvent) (2024).
• 4.5 sq ft (about 0.42 m2) per dancer. Adding a dance floor, allow roughly four and a half square feet of space for each dancing guest. Source: Social Tables (Cvent) (2024).