Beyond the Beats: The Amazing Tent Co’s Summer of 2023

As the vibrant days of summer start to fade, we are reflecting on Summer 2023. It has been a whirlwind of extraordinary festivals, concerts, and events for us at The Amazing Tent Co. We have been at the heart of many exciting experiences with our SaddleSpans, transforming the humble field into a realm of creativity, comfort, and exclusivity. Within the kaleidoscope of summer, our versatile SaddleSpan structures have become part of the landscape of festivals, concerts, and outdoor extravaganzas.  

In what has been a summer of mixed British weather, amidst the sea of glitter, elaborate costumed festival-goers, and thumping beats, our SaddleSpans have provided a haven of continuity, ensuring that the show goes on regardless of the elements. Whilst sometimes associated with more utilitarian purposes, SaddleSpans metamorphosise of the event tent – housing everything from sprawling stages to cosy bar areas and exclusive VIP zones. 

Our summer journey helped to provide festival shelter and comfort, with spaces to rest, connect, and rejuvenate. From the sun-drenched shores of Cornwall’s Boardmasters, to the star-studded BBC Radio One Big Weekend. We ventured further north to the dual engines of Leeds & Reading Festivals where bands and fans created unmatched festival experiences. The Big Feastival offered a different kind of event—one of flavours and aromas merging from food stalls to open-air stages. Creamfields North & South, was an immersion into the electronic realm, of pulsating beats and dazzling lights.  

The intricate planning, collaboration, and dedication that goes on behind the scenes ensures that The Amazing Tent Co’s SaddleSpans enhance the festival experience – uniting style, innovation, and functionality as extensions of the festival spirit— as places to take cover, mingle, and connect, immersed in the magic of music and community. 

So, here’s to next year’s mud-splattered wellies or sun-kissed skin festival and event season. However next summer unfolds, now is the time to contact us to discuss how we can support you to create an unforgettable 2024 festival experience. +44 (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk 

 

Photo credit: Anthony Mooney 

 

 

 


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Cool ways to stay cool

We pitch our SaddleSpans at venues across Europe and the UK, with many installations being on hot summer’s days. Through our years of experience, we’ve developed some canny ideas to keep our crew cool as they set up. Here’s just a few things we do to stay chill during the summer heat:  

  • Make use of the breeze. If you’re by the coast, or somewhere that has a natural breeze, make the most of it. Consider keeping one, or both sides, of the #SaddleSpan open so that a through breeze keeps your clients cool. 

 

  • Set up in the shade. If you have the opportunity to pick your pitch at the festival, exhibition, or event within larger grounds, it’s worth thinking about pitching it up in the shade. Try the shade given from an existing building or under a canopy of trees – we’ll worry about the height clearance and safety of this, and advise you accordingly. 

 

  • Hire a portable air conditioner or cooler. This is essential in any heat wave or if you’re working in southern Europe or a Middle East venue. We can advise on suppliers for these too. 

 

  • Let down the sides and open all entrances. If air con isn’t an option, due to budget or location keep the air flowing by letting down all the sides of the tent down. Alternatively, if you can’t let the sides down on your #SaddleSpan, then we suggest you open all entrances and consider large fans. 

 

  • Stay hydrated. One of the most important, and one of the most often forgotten at festivals, events and parties! ;o) 

 

Stay cool with us next summer and call us to book in your event: 44 (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk  

 

#EventTent #EventVenue #EventSuppliers #TentHire #MarqueeHire #StayCool 

 

 

 


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Making your event tent ‘summery’!

As well as large events and festivals, a smaller summer celebration can be the perfect way to party – weddings, birthdays, corporate fun days, engagements, and christening parties can all be enjoyed in a Saddlespan. Make the most of the warmer weather and create a fun, beautiful environment for your colleagues, friends, and family.

Here’s our top tips for planning your exceptional event this summer in one of our unique structures: 

  • Choosing the right size SaddleSpan – before ordering, consider the number of guests you are hosting and the type of party. Is it a sit-down event with food and drinks? Will you want to dance under the stars or be covered by a canopy? 
  • Decoration is key – weddings and christenings might be lighter décor with chandeliers, and an engagement or birthday party might be themed to suit the couple or birthday person’s interests. We have many contacts in the tent interiors business who can guide you with these choices. 
  • Would you like a side with that? – for a family fun day you might opt for a circus or Hawaiian theme, so why not remove the sides from the #Saddlespan for flexibility and room for fun. Whether it’s juggling or hula-ing! This is also a good option for wedding receptions, so your guests can easily mingle inside and outside.  
  • Don’t forget the lights – if you’re planning to party into the evening, you will need to ensure that you have adequate lighting set up to keep the party going. We can help with this too.
  • Furniture – do you need tables and chairs for sit-down dining, or a relaxed seating area near the bar? Depending on the theme and ‘feel’ of your event there are many options to be considered. 

Do get in touch with us when you’re planning your summer party and we’ll help guide you towards a spectacular summer celebration: (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk 


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A summer of events!

What is that big yellow shining sphere in the sky?!  It seems we might have a summer of better weather ahead, which has us contemplating what’s coming up for us over the next few months. Some of our old favourites are back, with a few new events thrown into the mix. Here’s where you can spot us in the fields of England over the summer – you might even be able to bag yourselves some tickets for some of these if you are quick. 

We’ve already had some fun in the sun recently, you may have spotted our majestic SaddleSpans at Creamfields South and BBC Big Weekend in Dundee? Coming up in June we have the Birmingham Guild of Students Ball and we’ll be amongst the regal racing action at Royal Ascot later in the month. 

The rest of the summer looks something like this – give us a wave if you see us: 

Boardmasters  

 

Creamfields North 

 

Reading Festival  

 

Leeds Festival  

 

Big Feastival  

 

If you have any events or festivals for 2023 or 2024 that you are looking for stage, bar or VIP cover, please give us a call and we can chat over your options:  

+44 (0)7778 835 207 / enquiries@amazingtent.co.uk 

 

Image credit: Geoffrey Hubbel 


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A few of our favourite festivals

We all love a good festival, whether that be music, food, arts or otherwise. We’ve seen our fair share of fantastic festivals over the years in both glorious sunshine and pouring rain, and we’ve certainly missed attending them.

After cancellations across the board in 2020 due to the pandemic, we had all hoped for a return to normal this summer, none more so than the entertainment and events industries. The government decision for restrictions to end on 19 July was music to our ears, but unfortunately it was too late for many of this summer’s festivals, and some have found insurance and other challenges too insurmountable for this season. We are delighted to see that some festivals are managing to run again this summer and are looking forward to a return to the full festival season next summer.

We decided to take this opportunity to look back at the festivals we’ve provided our Saddlespan event tents for over the years, and to celebrate some of our team’s personal favourites.

 

WOMAD festival imageWOMAD

More than just a festival, WOMAD is an experience, bringing music, workshops and cuisine from around the world all to a little corner of Wiltshire. The festival is inclusive in every way possible and that is part of why we love it, as well as its commitment to the environment. We’ve provided the event tent for what our team think is the best part of the festival ‘Molly’s Bar’ named after a beloved dog. A few of our team are very disappointed that WOMAD won’t be running again this year, as they like to attend with their own families – only once our Saddlespan stage covers are all in place of course!

 

Creamfields festival image

Creamfields

This huge festival is the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the UK and is always an exciting event to be a part of. The Creamfields festival brings the biggest names in EDM to Cheshire for a four-day event over the August bank holiday, with 70,000 people attending each day. For a number of years, we have provided two saddlespan tents for the VIP area for the festival. We are delighted that this festival is due to go ahead this year.

 

Latitude festival image

Latitude

A family-friendly festival set at Henham Park, in the Suffolk countryside, Latitude is a definite favourite of a few of our team. With a range of entertainment from top musicians to poetry, dance to comedy, art to theatre, there is something for everyone and all the family. We’re proud to have supplied our Saddlespan event tents to house the Lake Stage for the last several years, which has played host to the likes of Wolf Alice and Clean Bandit.

 

Electric Castle festival image

Electric Castle – Romania

Set against the backdrop of the 15th Century Banffy Castle in Transylvania, Romania, Electric Castle is an exciting festival, that brings an eclectic mix of music, technology and alternative arts. What truly makes the festival unique is that organisers donate a percentage of the profits from ticket sales towards the restoration of the historic castle. So far this has helped restore the roof and build flooring. We first supplied our Saddlespan tents to the festival in 2018, where it housed the festival food hall, which boasts an impressive variety of cuisines and even fine dining options.

If you are lucky enough to be attending a festival this year, we hope you have a fantastic time. And if you are an event organiser planning a festival for autumn or next year, then get in touch with us if you need to get it covered!


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Live events reinsurance – does the Government’s new scheme go far enough?

The events and entertainment industries have been hit hard by the COVID 19 pandemic. Events were postponed or cancelled, causing some venues to shut down for good, and many staff losing their jobs despite the furlough scheme, as companies couldn’t keep afloat. The government announcement on 19 July 2021 that the legal restrictions were over was music to the ears of all those in the entertainment and events industries, finally a chance to start the long road to recovery after the challenge of the previous 16 months. Many live events have since returned, festivals are going ahead, theatres can fill their seats, and musicians are returning to stages. However, the situation isn’t as rosy as you might think.

After a year of financially crippling restrictions and forced cancellations, live event and festival organisers are not in the position to take a gamble to get their events back up and running, so great insurance coverage is more critical than ever. Insurance problems have been cited by a number of festivals as the reason for them not going ahead this year. The launch of the new government scheme to help encourage insurers to cover live events is exactly what is needed. The government are stepping in to act as a reinsurer, meaning events can go ahead with the reassurance that pay-outs are guaranteed to be funded if events have to be cancelled due to COVID.

While this is great news and a really positive step towards getting the sector back on its feet, the devil is in the detail. When you take a look at the fine print, the reinsurance is only valid if the event is cancelled due to another lockdown, not if the event is not feasible due to other COVID related restrictions. This could prove problematic as it seems more likely that there would be a reintroduction of restrictions, such as social distancing, rather than a full lockdown given how far we have come with vaccinations and the low number of hospitalisations due to COVID. Meaning that the reinsurance is not much of a guarantee to events organisers, who could still be at risk of losing out if social distancing restrictions were to be reintroduced. So, although this is an important and valuable step from the government to help get events going again, we aren’t sure that is it enough to give the sector the confidence boost it needs right now. If the government want their scheme to really boost the sector, they need to expand it to cover reintroduction of other COVID related restrictions that would affect the industry.

But the last year has brought out the pessimist in most of us, with massive changes to our daily lives and challenges to our livelihoods, but maybe now it’s time for us to be optimistic? Here’s to hoping that 2022 will be a year full of live events and festivals which gets the industry well and truly back on its feet!


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Tips for planning a party for friends and family

From 19 July COVID19 restrictions are due to be relaxed, allowing larger gatherings.

For over a year we’ve all stayed away from large gatherings and missed out on celebrating those big birthdays and milestones with friends and family. From 19 July 2021, when restrictions are due to be lifted, we can look forward to getting our family and friends together to make up for lost time. Planning an event for a large number of people can be daunting, especially after a year of lockdowns and limited social contact, so we’ve put together a list of things to consider to make your catchup celebration one to remember for all the right reasons!

Plan for the British weather
At Amazing Tents we supply event structures for large festivals, but our smaller configurations are perfect for family parties and weddings too. These provide much needed shade and rain cover to keep your party going whatever the weather, and save needing to find an indoor space large enough.

Arrange catering
Preparing food for a large gathering can be quite a feat, so hiring in outside catering can be a great way to reduce the stress of organising a party. There are plenty of options to suit every budget from supermarket food platters to hiring a personal chef! If you bring in outside caterers to work at the party we can provide marquees and tents to accommodate food preparation areas.

Keep your guests hydrated
Its easy to get carried away thinking about alcoholic options like wine and cocktails for parties, but don’t forget to plan non alcoholic drinks for those avoiding alcohol, children and to keep guests hydrated between alcoholic drinks too. Jugs of water with fruit and ice are a great option to keep guests hydrated but also look great and can add to your decoration.

Provide entertainment
Music and other entertainment can be a great way to get the party atmosphere started. It doesn’t have to be expensive, a mobile phone or tablet connected to a speaker is a great option. You could also consider a local band or musician to bring that special touch to your gathering.

Think about the kids
Many family parties will include children, and keeping them entertained means a well-earned break for their parents! Bouncy castles, garden games such as croquet, and organised activities like scavenger hunts are a great way to keep them busy. You might also want to consider a separate marquee or tent to give children a covered space just for them.

A small saddlespan tent configuration for garden partyParty with a saddlespan tent


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Amazing Tent Co to supply cover for the UK’s number one outdoor cinema event company

We are delighted to announce that this year we’ll be working with The Luna Cinema to provide temporary event cover for their brand new open-air cinema season designed specifically for kids.

Luna Kids Cinema will be touring six venues across the UK from July to September, screening family-friendly classics alongside this year’s blockbusters, as well as the first ever outdoor screenings of The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man. All the screenings will utilise the highest definition outdoor screen in the country, meaning a crystal-clear picture even in full daylight for an amazing cinematic experience.

We are providing SaddleSpan tents for six children’s cinema events in Dulwich Park, London; Hatfield House, Hertfordshire; Hampton Court Palace; Priory Park, Surrey; Heaton Park, Manchester and Tatton Park, Cheshire.

Simon Fookes, director of Amazing Tent Co, said: “We are really pleased to be working with the team at Luna Kids Cinema. These are seriously cool events at fantastic locations around the UK. But the focus is on a quality experience for the audience, from the sound and lighting to the food and drink suppliers, so we are delighted to be working with Luna Kids Cinema to help provide that experience.”

George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema, said: “We are delighted to be working with Amazing Tent Co for the very first Luna Kids Cinema this summer. Luna Kids will celebrate all that is great about cinema for children of all ages – this last year has been so fantastic for kids’ films, with pictures like Paddington 2, Coco and Despicable Me 3 topping box office charts and delighting adults and children alike. To experience these films, alongside timeless classics such as Aladdin, Up and The Incredibles, on a giant high definition screen will make for a truly unique summer family outing. No one wants to be cooped up in a darkened room during the summer holidays – Luna Kids encourages us all to get out in the open air and enjoy some of the most stunning parks and historic sites in the country, and Amazing Tent Co’s SaddleSpan tents will only enhance the experience.”


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