From Custom Design to Year-Round Events: The Stapleford Granary Stretch Tent
For venues with a busy programme of outdoor events, a stretch tent can be much more than temporary event cover. A bespoke, client-owned structure can become a valuable part of the venue itself – creating a flexible outdoor space that can be used again and again for concerts, community events, workshops, family activities and more.
That was the thinking behind our work with Stapleford Granary, an arts, culture and education centre near Cambridge.
The Granary purchased a bespoke 300m² stretch tent for its courtyard, creating a covered outdoor space that has since become an important part of its events programme. We continue to provide the specialist rigging service, installing and taking down the tent around their programme of events.
A custom stretch tent designed for the venue
Every venue presents its own challenges. The size and shape of the available space, the surrounding buildings, access, ground conditions and the types of events taking place all need to be considered when designing a stretch tent.
For Stapleford Granary, the aim was to create a substantial outdoor structure that worked naturally within the character of the historic site while providing a flexible environment for its programme of events.
Rather than hiring a different structure for each event, the Granary invested in its own bespoke stretch tent.
This gives the venue a consistent outdoor space that can be used repeatedly throughout the year, while still allowing the tent to be configured to suit different occasions.
One tent, countless possibilities
One of the biggest advantages of a stretch tent is its versatility.
At Stapleford Granary, the tent provides an outdoor setting for a wide range of activities. From live music and outdoor concerts to family events, creative activities and community gatherings, the space can be transformed depending on what is happening underneath it.
The Granary’s outdoor programme has included live performances, children’s activities, craft events and community events, demonstrating how a well-designed covered space can support a much broader programme.
For a cultural venue, that flexibility is particularly valuable.
A concert might require an open performance area and audience seating. A family event could need space for children’s activities and workshops. A community event might need room for stalls, food and socialising.
The same structure can accommodate all of these uses.
Owning the tent, without managing the rigging
Buying a stretch tent gives a venue the long-term benefits of having its own structure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean having to take responsibility for every aspect of installation.
For Stapleford Granary, we provide an ongoing rigging service alongside their ownership of the tent.
This means our experienced installation team can return to the venue to rig the tent when it is required and dismantle it afterwards, giving the Granary the benefit of a professionally installed structure without needing to maintain its own specialist rigging team.
It is a model that works particularly well for venues with recurring outdoor events.
The tent remains the client’s asset, while the technical expertise required to install it safely and correctly remains with us.
Working around the event calendar
Another important part of the project has been timing.
Unlike a traditional one-off event hire, a venue-owned stretch tent needs to be installed and removed around the venue’s wider programme. We therefore work with the team at Stapleford Granary to coordinate the rigging schedule around their events.
Where possible, installation and other tent work can be carried out outside peak event periods, minimising disruption and ensuring the space is ready when it is needed.
For busy venues, this can make a significant difference.
The result is a more practical long-term solution: the venue can programme events throughout the year while having access to a flexible covered outdoor space when required.
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A stretch tent that becomes part of the venue
Stapleford Granary is a great example of how a stretch tent can become more than an event structure.
The Granary is based within a beautifully restored complex of historic farm buildings and operates as an arts and cultural centre, with concerts, exhibitions, education programmes and community activities taking place throughout the year.
The stretch tent extends that existing offer outdoors.
It creates another environment for people to gather, experience performances, take part in activities and enjoy the venue – while retaining the distinctive atmosphere that makes an outdoor setting so appealing.
And because the tent is bespoke and client-owned, it is designed around the venue rather than being a generic structure brought in for a single event. For example, the ground anchors are permanently in situ but we cap off the tops when the tent is not in use so that the space can seamlessly return to a carpark.
Is a custom stretch tent right for your venue?
For venues that regularly host outdoor events, purchasing a bespoke stretch tent can be a worthwhile alternative to repeatedly hiring temporary event structures.
It can provide:
- A permanent asset that can be used across multiple events and seasons
- A bespoke structure designed around the venue and available space
- Flexibility for different types of events and activities
- A distinctive outdoor environment for guests and visitors
- The ability to open the sides during good weather or create more protection when required
- Professional rigging and dismantling without needing to employ an in-house installation team
It can be particularly effective for arts centres, hospitality venues, visitor attractions, festivals, schools and other organisations with a regular programme of outdoor events.
A long-term stretch tent solution
Our work with Stapleford Granary demonstrates that stretch tents don’t have to be limited to one-off event hire.
A custom-designed tent can become a long-term part of a venue, giving it a flexible outdoor space that can evolve with its programme.
And with an ongoing rigging service from an experienced stretch tent team, owning the structure doesn’t mean having to manage the technical side of every installation yourself. We can also provide storage and cleaning services.
If you’re considering purchasing a custom stretch tent for your venue, we’d be happy to discuss the space, your planned uses and how an ongoing rigging service could work for you.
Talk to The Stretch Tent Company about a custom stretch tent for your venue.
