Christmas event hire · Norfolk & Suffolk

Christmas event hire for switch-ons and markets.

Stage, sound, radio mics, lighting, power and heating for Christmas lights switch-ons, markets, carol services and parties across Norfolk and Suffolk. One supplier and one quote, delivered and run by our crew.

Get a Christmas quote Call the office

Norfolk · Suffolk · Quote within one working day · Rated 4.9 on Google

Plan your Christmas event Switch-on · 200 to 800
The event
How many people
Stage
6 × 4 m at 1 m, with steps and handrails
Sound
Pro Touring Audio Package, with an engineer
Mics
EV RE3 wireless handhelds for the host, the guests and a spare
Lighting
A light show on the tree and the buildings, run to the music
Power
Three-phase distro, and a generator where there’s no supply
Heat
Infrared heaters for the stage wings or a VIP area
Crowd
Cable ramps, plus stewards’ radios and megaphones

A starting point for the conversation, not a site plan. The space, the running order and the power on site decide the final build, so we confirm it when we quote.

1 quote
Stage, sound, lighting, power and heating together
IP65
HydroBeam X2 beams that stay out in the rain all weekend
8
Weatherproof horn speakers for site-wide announcements
£10m
Public liability cover, with RAMS available

Lights switch-ons

The countdown, the crowd and the moment the lights come on.

A switch-on is a small festival in the town centre: a stage for the mayor, the guest and the choir, sound that reaches the back of the crowd, radio mics that work first time, and a light show when the tree comes on. We plan it as one build and run it on the night.

  • A stage with steps and handrails — sized in our stage planner, high enough for a crowd to see over
  • Sound for the whole square — a PA sized to the crowd, run by an engineer who stays until the end
  • Radio mics — Electro-Voice RE3 handhelds, with backup mics carried on every job
  • A light show — HydroBeam X2 beams and IP-rated uplighters on the tree and the buildings, run to the music by MaestroDMX
  • Power — distro from the site supply, or a generator we arrange as part of the build
  • A screen, where there’s cover — an LED wall for the countdown under a stage roof or canopy

Christmas markets

Announcements, carols and a warm glow.

Markets run all day across a whole site, so the kit has to cope with the weather, reach every stall and keep going without anyone touching it.

Announcements

Weatherproof horn speakers on a 100V line: one amplifier, one cable loop and speakers spread across the site rather than one PA shouting from a corner. We hold eight. Horn speakers

A stage for the carols

A low stage for choirs, school groups and bands, with a speech PA and an EV RE3 radio mic for whoever’s hosting. Stage hire

Festoon and colour

Warm-white festoon over the stalls, on our poles where there’s nothing to hang it from, and weatherproof uplighters on the trees and the buildings. Festoon · Uplighting

Heating

Gas patio heaters for the open air and electric infrared heaters for the bar and the queues. Gas heaters are open air only, never inside a marquee. Heater hire

Power for the stalls

RCD-protected distros from the site supply or a generator, with the stage, the lighting and the heaters planned together. 32A distro · 63A distro

Safe cable runs

Cable ramps wherever a cable crosses a walkway or a doorway, which venues and insurers increasingly ask for by name. Cable ramps

Christmas parties

From the office do to the village hall disco.

Speakers sized to the room, a DJ set-up for a booked DJ or the office DJ, and lights that turn a plain hall into a party. In a marquee, we bring the heating too.

Who it’s for

Town and parish councils

Switch-ons, markets and late-night shopping events, with RAMS and insurance certificates on request.

Town partnerships and BIDs

Several events across the season from one supplier, planned and quoted together.

Schools and PTAs

Christmas fairs, nativities and carol concerts in the hall or the playground. Community AV

Churches

Carol services and crib services, with radio mics for the readers and a hearing loop for the congregation. Hearing loops

Businesses

Christmas parties, awards and client evenings, run on one system from the speeches to the last dance. Awards nights

Venues, pubs and clubs

Extra sound and lighting for the busiest month, dry hire or delivered and set up. Equipment hire

Paperwork and timing

Book December early.

For Saturdays in December, the sooner the better: four to six months’ notice is ideal where you can. Midweek and off-peak dates are often available at much shorter notice, so it’s always worth asking.

  • £10m public liability — certificates sent to you or the venue on request
  • RAMS — risk assessments and method statements for events that need them
  • PAT tested — all equipment on a 12-month cycle
  • Big crowds — stewards’ radios, megaphones and announcements. Event comms

Where we deliver

Christmas event hire across Norfolk and Suffolk.

From our base near Diss we cover town centres, market squares, halls and marquees across both counties, including Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Thetford, Stowmarket, Framlingham and Diss. Delivery is priced by distance and shown in your quote. See all the areas we cover.

Before you ask

Christmas event questions.

Can you do the stage, sound and lighting for a Christmas lights switch-on?
Yes, as one build on one quote: a stage with steps and handrails, a PA sized to the crowd with an engineer, radio mics, lighting on the tree and the buildings, and the power to run it all. Send us the site, the date and the running order.
Can you put on a light show when the lights come on?
Yes. IP65-rated HydroBeam X2 moving beams and weatherproof uplighters light the tree and the buildings, and MaestroDMX listens to the music and runs the show like an operator would.
What if there’s no power in the square?
We arrange a generator as part of the build and bring RCD-protected distribution to feed the stage, the sound, the lighting and the heaters, with the load worked out in advance.
How do you do announcements across a Christmas market?
With weatherproof horn speakers on a 100V line: one amplifier and one cable loop, with the speakers spread across the site rather than one PA shouting from a corner. We hold eight.
Can you heat a Christmas market or a marquee party?
Yes. Gas patio heaters work in the open air (never inside a marquee), electric infrared heaters suit bars and queues, and indirect diesel heaters warm a marquee with the flame and the fumes kept outside. Heaters are quoted to the job; see heater hire.
Can you provide risk assessments and insurance certificates?
Yes. We carry £10m public liability cover, all equipment is PAT tested on a 12-month cycle, and we supply risk assessments and method statements for events that need them, sent to you or the venue on request.
Can the LED screen go outside?
Under cover, yes: a stage roof, a marquee or a canopied stand is fine. The panels aren’t rated for direct rain, so an exposed position needs a different approach. Tell us the site and we’ll advise before you book.
How far ahead should we book for December?
The sooner the better for Saturdays in December; four to six months is ideal. Midweek and off-peak dates are often available at much shorter notice, so it’s always worth asking.
Which areas do you cover?
We’re based near Diss on the Norfolk–Suffolk border and cover Norfolk and Suffolk, including Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Thetford and King’s Lynn. Further afield on request; see areas we cover.

Next step

Tell us the event. We’ll plan the build.

Send the site, the date, the running order and roughly how many people. You’ll get a quote back within one working day.

Get a Christmas quote Call the office

£10m public liability · PAT-tested stock · RAMS available · ICO registration ZB988850 (MAV HIRE LTD)