Written by the GigLoo events team, luxury portable toilet and shower hire specialists serving Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, London and the wider South East. Last updated June 2026.
Quick answer: how much festival sanitation do you need?
For a festival without heavy alcohol service, the UK industry standard (the Purple Guide) recommends roughly 1 toilet per 100 women and 1 toilet per 500 men, plus 1 urinal per 150 men. Where urinals are provided, that tightens to about 1 toilet per 75 women and 1 per 400 men. For licensed music festivals with bars open all day, add an uplift of up to 25 to 33 percent on top. You should also provide at least one accessible toilet and one hand-washing point for every 10 toilets. If your event runs over multiple days or in hot weather, factor in showers and on-site servicing too. Get a tailored plan with a festival toilet and shower hire quote from GigLoo.
That is the headline. Below we break down exactly how to plan festival sanitation that keeps your crowd happy, your site compliant and your budget under control.
What is festival toilet hire?
Festival toilet hire is the temporary supply, delivery, servicing and collection of portable toilets and welfare facilities for outdoor events such as music festivals, food and drink festivals, county shows and large community gatherings. A good festival hire package is far more than dropping a row of cubicles on a field. It covers the number and mix of units, their placement across the site, regular servicing during the event, waste removal, hand-washing, accessible provision and, increasingly, showers for campers, crew and traders.
Festivals are one of the most demanding environments for portable sanitation. Footfall is high, usage peaks around headline acts and meal times, and many events run for several days with people camping on site. Getting the numbers and servicing right is the difference between a smooth event and a queue-and-complaint problem that ends up on social media.
How many toilets do you need for a festival?
This is the question every organiser asks first, and the answer comes from the Purple Guide, the event safety guidance published by the Events Industry Forum and used by UK local authorities and licensing teams. The ratios reflect a simple reality: women’s facilities are used more often and for longer, so you need more of them.
Here is the baseline guidance for events that last more than six hours:
| Scenario | Female toilets | Male toilets | Urinals
|
|---|---|---|---|
| No urinals provided | 1 per 100 | 1 per 100 | None |
| With urinals provided | 1 per 75 | 1 per 400 | 1 per 150 |
| Licensed event with alcohol | Add 20 to 25% | Add 20 to 25% | Add 20 to 25% |
| Heavy alcohol / all-day music festival | Add up to 33% | Add up to 33% | Add up to 33% |
A worked example: a one-day music festival of 5,000 people with a 50:50 gender split and bars open all day. Start with the urinal-based ratio (2,500 women at 1:75 = 34 female toilets; 2,500 men at 1:400 = 7 male toilets plus around 17 urinals). Then add roughly a third for heavy alcohol service, taking you to about 45 female cubicles, 9 male cubicles and 22 urinals. Always round up, never down.
Two more rules that catch people out. Provide at least one accessible toilet as a minimum, and more for larger crowds. And provide one hand-washing facility for every 10 toilets, because hygiene at food-led and family events is non-negotiable. If you are unsure, our team will run the numbers for your specific headcount and licence conditions.
Do you need showers at your festival?
If your festival has camping, traders staying overnight, or a crew working long shifts, the answer is almost always yes. Showers transform the experience at multi-day events and are now expected at anything with a campsite. They also matter for staff welfare, which is a genuine compliance and duty-of-care point for organisers.
For festival shower hire you are typically choosing between multi-bay shower trailers for high-volume public use and smaller shower pods for crew, VIP or accessible areas. A rough planning figure for camping festivals is one shower per 30 to 50 campers, scaled to how long people stay and how hot the weather is. Showers need a water supply and drainage plan, so the earlier you involve your hire company, the smoother the setup. Explore the options on our portable shower hire page.
What types of units work best at festivals?
Most festivals use a mix rather than a single unit type. Matching the unit to the audience keeps everyone happy and controls cost.
- Standard portable toilets (portaloos): the workhorse of any festival. Self-contained, quick to deploy in banks, and ideal for general public areas. For a full rundown, see our portaloo hire guide.
- Urinals: a cost-effective way to cut queues and reduce the number of male cubicles needed. Essential at large licensed events.
- Luxury toilet trailers: flushing toilets, sinks, lighting and mirrors. Perfect for VIP areas, artist backstage, hospitality and family festivals where comfort sells tickets. See our luxury toilet hire guide for the full picture.
- Accessible toilets: spacious, ground-level units for disabled guests, parents with young children and anyone who needs more room. Legally and ethically a must.
- Shower trailers and pods: for camping festivals, crew welfare and multi-day events.
How much does festival toilet hire cost?
Festival pricing is built around three things: the number and type of units, how many days you need them, and how much servicing the event requires. As a rough 2026 guide, a standard portable toilet for an event weekend sits in the region of £100 to £170 per unit, while a luxury toilet trailer runs from around £250 upward depending on size and configuration. Multi-day festivals add servicing visits, waste removal and sometimes overnight attendants, which is why festival quotes are always tailored rather than off-the-shelf.
For a detailed breakdown of what drives the numbers, read our portaloo hire cost guide. The single biggest tip: book early. Summer Saturdays from May to September are the busiest dates in the calendar and the best units get reserved months ahead.
How does servicing work at multi-day festivals?
Servicing is where festival sanitation is won or lost. Over a busy weekend, units need emptying, restocking and cleaning, often overnight when the site is quiet. A professional hire company will agree a servicing schedule based on your peak usage, provide waste removal under the correct licences, and keep hand-wash stations topped up with water and soap. For large festivals this can mean daily or even twice-daily servicing, plus a standby contact for the duration of the event. Always confirm the servicing plan in writing before you book.
Are there eco-friendly festival toilet options?
Yes, and audiences increasingly expect them. Sustainable options include water-efficient flushing systems, units built from long-life recyclable materials, and responsible waste handling that keeps everything out of watercourses. Greener sanitation is a genuine selling point you can promote to eco-conscious festival-goers and sponsors. GigLoo designs and builds its own units with sustainability front of mind, so ask about our lower-impact options when you enquire.
Festival sanitation planning checklist
- Confirm your expected peak headcount and gender split.
- Apply the Purple Guide ratios, then add an uplift for alcohol service.
- Add accessible units and one hand-wash point per 10 toilets.
- Decide whether you need showers for camping, crew or traders.
- Plan unit placement so facilities are spread across the site, not clustered.
- Agree a servicing and waste-removal schedule for every day of the event.
- Check water supply and drainage for showers and any mains-connected units.
- Book early, especially for peak summer weekends.
Why hire festival toilets and showers from GigLoo?
GigLoo is a luxury portable toilet and shower hire company that designs and manufactures its own units, so the quality you see on site is built rather than bought in. We supply festivals, shows and large outdoor events across Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, London and the wider South East, with everything from standard portaloos and urinals to luxury trailers, accessible units and multi-bay showers. Our team will calculate the right mix for your crowd, agree a servicing plan that keeps facilities fresh all weekend, and handle delivery, setup and collection.
Planning a festival or large outdoor event this season? Get a fast, no-fuss festival toilet and shower hire quote or browse our full portable toilet hire range to see what is available.
Festival toilet hire FAQs
How many toilets do I need for a festival?
Use the Purple Guide baseline of 1 toilet per 100 women and 1 per 500 men plus 1 urinal per 150 men for events without heavy drinking. Where urinals are provided the ratio is about 1 per 75 women and 1 per 400 men. Add 20 to 33 percent for licensed events with all-day alcohol service, and always round up.
How many showers does a camping festival need?
A common planning figure is one shower per 30 to 50 campers, adjusted for how long people stay and the weather. Crew and trader areas usually need their own dedicated units separate from the public showers.
Do festivals legally need accessible toilets?
Yes. Event organisers should provide at least one accessible toilet as a minimum, with more for larger crowds, to meet equality duties and good practice. Accessible units also help parents with young children and anyone with additional needs.
How far in advance should I book festival toilet hire?
For peak summer weekends, book as early as you can, ideally several months ahead. The best units and trailers are reserved quickly between May and September, so early enquiries secure both availability and better planning time.
How much does festival toilet hire cost?
Costs depend on the number and type of units, the length of hire and the servicing required. As a rough 2026 guide, standard units start around £100 to £170 for an event weekend and luxury trailers from around £250 upward, with multi-day servicing quoted separately. See our portaloo hire cost guide for a full breakdown.