Stage, podium and truss for hire
Stage Rental and Podium Hire: Modular Stage, Truss and Catwalk
Three things decide a stage rental: the size, the height, and what will be on it. A lectern and a live band do not need the same load capacity; an indoor hall and an open-air site do not need the same ground preparation or safety measures. Tales Event rents modular stage, podium, truss and catwalk, sizing them to your run of show and delivering with installation and strike.
How stage size is determined
Modular stages are assembled from standard platform sections, most commonly 1 by 2 metre decks. Size is therefore discussed in section counts and usually rounded to multiples of that footprint. What sets the size is what happens on the stage: a panel with a lectern and two chairs asks for a very different area than a band with drums, keyboards and four musicians. At award ceremonies the number of people on stage at once is decisive; at a fashion show it is the length of the runway. Leaving technical circulation and backstage space behind the stage is another detail that belongs in the size calculation.
Height and sightlines
Stage height decides whether the back row can see the stage at all. In a flat-floor hall, height has to rise as the audience grows; in a raked or tiered room, a stage higher than needed works against you. As height increases, stairs, handrails and safety measures enter the setup. We choose height together with the seating plan, because thinking about the stage in isolation produces a setup that looks right from the front row and blocks everyone behind it.
Load capacity: what will be on the stage?
Stage platforms are built to carry a defined load per square metre. A setup of speakers and a lectern asks for different capacity than one with a piano, a drum kit or heavy scenery, and dance or show segments with intense movement add dynamic load. That is why we ask at quotation stage what equipment will be on stage and the maximum number of people. A stage loaded beyond its capacity is not just a technical problem, it is a safety problem.
Truss and rigging systems
Truss is the aluminium load-bearing system that lighting and sound hang from, and it also carries the backdrop and the screen. A ground-support setup is preferred where there is no permission to fly from the ceiling, or where the ceiling's load capacity is unknown. For flown installations, the venue's permission, ceiling capacity and the position of rigging points are settled early. Designing the truss layout together with the lighting plan is what keeps light arriving at the right angle and the stage out of shadow.
Outdoor stages: ground and weather
Open-air stages add two variables: ground and weather. On grass, soil or sloping ground, stage legs need load spreading and levelling; on hard ground, floor protection comes in. Wind is a decisive constraint for flown setups and for large surfaces such as backdrops. Where rain is possible, a marquee, canopy or fallback plan is built into the setup. These items cannot be solved on event day, which is why we raise them at quotation stage.
What determines stage and podium rental pricing
The items that build the quote: stage area and platform count, height, required load capacity, truss and rigging setup, catwalk length, complementary parts such as stairs, handrails and skirting, the time needed for installation and strike, transport and the venue's load-in conditions, and for open-air events the ground and weather measures. Installation time is the item most often overlooked: a restricted load-in window means a larger crew.
Stage equipment for hire
We size stage, podium and load-bearing systems to your requirement; installation and strike included.
Stage and podium
- Modular stage platform
- Adjustable height and ramps
- Runway catwalk and U-shaped podium
- Tiered choir / orchestra podium
Load-bearing systems
- Truss systems
- Ground-support setup
- Rigging hardware
- Backdrop support and banners
Complementary parts
- Stage stairs and handrails
- Skirting
- Audience barriers
- Floor protection and cable crossings
Power and support
- Generator and power distribution
- Marquee and canopy solutions
- Installation, rehearsal and strike crew
Frequently asked questions
Stage area and platform count, height, required load capacity, truss and rigging setup, catwalk length, complementary parts such as stairs and skirting, installation and strike time, transport and the venue's load-in conditions. For open-air events, ground and weather measures are line items too.
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You can also rent each item separately
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