Which is cheaper to hire, festoon or fairy lights?

Per metre of visual impact, festoon is usually the better-value starting point because each string covers more area and throws usable light. Fairy-light canopies use far more strands to fill the same space, so dense canopy looks cost more. Combining both on one install is often cheaper than it sounds because delivery and crew are shared.

Can festoon and fairy lights be dimmed?

Yes — our festoon runs on dimmable circuits, so the room can shift from bright and social to low and intimate through the night. It's one of the biggest advantages of professional hire over consumer strings from the hardware shop.

Are they safe to use outdoors if it rains?

Ours are. All Lume Hire festoon and fairy lighting is IP64 waterproof and every string is tested and tagged before installation. We also rig with proper cable management and protected connections, so coastal showers and summer storms don't interrupt your event.

Do fairy lights work for a ceremony in daylight?

Not really — tiny points of light disappear in full sun. For daytime ceremonies, lighting is better spent on the reception where it will glow after dark. If your ceremony runs into golden hour or dusk, fairy-light backdrops and tree canopies start to earn their place.

Comparison Guide

Festoon vs fairy lights: which should you hire?

The two most-requested lighting styles for weddings and events, compared honestly — look, coverage, cost and where each one actually shines. Plus the answer most venues in the Gold Coast and Byron Bay end up choosing.

The Difference

Big warm globes vs a sky of tiny stars

Festoon lights are strings of large, visible globes — think European laneway dining. Each globe throws real, usable light, so a festoon canopy actually illuminates the tables and faces underneath it. The look is warm, structured and slightly retro, and it photographs beautifully at dusk when the globes read against the sky. Fairy lights are the opposite philosophy: hundreds or thousands of tiny points that read as texture and sparkle rather than illumination. A fairy-light canopy feels like standing under stars — soft, romantic, immersive — but it won't light a dinner plate on its own, so it usually needs support from festoon, pendants or candles. Neither is better; they're different tools. Both hire options are covered in our product range, installed and packed down as always.

Festoon lighting with large warm globes strung over an event space

Choosing

Match the light to the space and the moment

Ten-plus years of installs gives us a simple rule of thumb. Choose festoon when the space is open and social — courtyards, marquees, long dining tables, backyard receptions from Burleigh Heads to Tweed Heads — and when you need the lighting to do actual work after dark. Our festoon lighting hire is the single most-booked product we run for exactly this reason. Choose fairy lights when the moment is intimate and the goal is atmosphere: ceremony backdrops, tree canopies in the Byron Hinterland, draping through clear-roof marquees, or wrapping structural beams in older venues. Fairy lights also win indoors where ceilings are low, because festoon globes can feel bulky under three metres. And consider your photos: festoon gives defined bokeh orbs, fairy lights give a soft glittering wash — photographers will happily voice an opinion if you ask.

Fairy-light canopy creating a starry effect over an evening event

The Real Answer

Most great events use both

Here's what actually happens on most of our wedding installs: festoon over the dining and bar areas where light needs to function, fairy lights woven through trees, backdrops and feature zones where sparkle matters more than lumens. The combination layers structure with softness, and because both run warm-white they blend seamlessly rather than competing. Cost-wise the pairing is friendlier than people expect — the truck is already coming, the crew is already rigging, so adding a second style to an existing install costs far less than booking it separately. Everything we hang is IP64 waterproof and tested and tagged, which matters for both styles: coastal weather from Coolangatta to Kingscliff doesn't distinguish between festoon and fairy. Undecided? Send your venue photos via contact and we'll recommend a split within 24 hours.

Combined festoon and fairy lighting layered at a reception

Frequently asked

: Per metre of visual impact, festoon is usually the better-value starting point because each string covers more area and throws usable light. Fairy-light canopies use far more strands to fill the same space, so dense canopy looks cost more. Combining both on one install is often cheaper than it sounds because delivery and crew are shared.
: Yes — our festoon runs on dimmable circuits, so the room can shift from bright and social to low and intimate through the night. It's one of the biggest advantages of professional hire over consumer strings from the hardware shop.
: Ours are. All Lume Hire festoon and fairy lighting is IP64 waterproof and every string is tested and tagged before installation. We also rig with proper cable management and protected connections, so coastal showers and summer storms don't interrupt your event.
: Not really — tiny points of light disappear in full sun. For daytime ceremonies, lighting is better spent on the reception where it will glow after dark. If your ceremony runs into golden hour or dusk, fairy-light backdrops and tree canopies start to earn their place.

Keep reading

More guides

Choosing Event Lighting on the Gold Coast

How to choose event lighting hire on the Gold Coast — venues, coastal weather and what to ask suppliers — from a crew wi…

Corporate Event Lighting Guide

How to plan lighting for galas, conferences and launches — branding, stage wash and AV — from a crew with 10+ years ligh…

Dance Floor Lighting Ideas

Dance floor lighting ideas for weddings and events — canopies, colour, DMX moments and lasers — from the crew that light…

The Event Lighting Checklist

The checklist we run before every install — venue, power, weather, timing and safety — so your event lighting goes right…

Festival Lighting Explained

How festival lighting works — stage rigs, DMX programming, lasers and site lighting — explained by operators with 10+ ye…

How Much Does Event Lighting Cost?

What event lighting hire really costs — festoon, uplighting, stage rigs and projection — and what drives the price. Hone…

How to Light a Wedding Reception

Step-by-step guide to lighting a wedding reception — zones, layers and timing — from installers who've lit hundreds of r…

LED Uplighting vs Festoon Lighting: What's the Difference?

LED uplighting vs festoon lighting compared — what each does, what each costs and how to combine them — from installers…

Marquee Lighting Guide

How to light a marquee properly — canopies, pole wraps, uplighting and dance floors — from installers who rig marquees w…

Outdoor Wedding Lighting Tips

Practical outdoor wedding lighting tips — weatherproofing, power, trees and timing — from installers who light coastal w…

Projection Mapping Explained

What projection mapping is, how it works and what it costs — buildings, stages and reveals — explained by technicians wh…

Uplighting Colour Guide: Choosing the Right Palette

How to choose uplighting colours for weddings, galas and events — warm vs cool, brand colours, and the shades that flatt…

The Complete Wedding Lighting Guide

Plan your wedding lighting — ceremony, reception and dance floor — with a crew that's lit weddings across QLD and NSW fo…