A pole marquee or pole tent is a variety of large

tent A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...

often used to shelter summer events such as shows, festivals, and weddings. They are particularly associated with typical English country garden weddings and village fetes. The basic design has changed little in thousands of years. A pole marquee consists of a roof canopy supported by tall central poles ("king poles") tensioned using side lines connected to ground pins (or stakes) and smaller supporting poles ("side poles"). The king poles support the bulk of the weight, while the side poles give the fabric shape. Historically, pole marquees were manufactured from cotton

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

, wooden poles, and hessian rope; but use of these materials has been largely superseded by

PVC Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons o ...

canvas, metal poles, and synthetic ropes. The introduction of modern fabrics has extended the useful life of marquee covers and made them far easier to clean. This has been of benefit to the marquee hire and event industries. Canvas marquees are still available and in recent years have seen a resurgence as natural materials become fashionable once more. Both materials offer some advantages over the other, particularly that the breathability of canvas allows better air circulation, but that PVC covers better withstand phototendering. It is inadvisable to use a traditional marquee during winter months due to the hazards associated with snow buildup, damp ground and high winds. With these inherent limitations, marquees are better equipped for warm, still weather unless fitted with features designed to reduce these hazards.https://archive.today/20090416002723/http://www.performancetextiles.org.uk/public/marqGuide.asp Performance Textiles Association - A Useful Guide to Marquees

References

External links

Understanding the Four Basic Party Tent Styles: Frame Tents vs Pole Tents
{Tents Portable buildings and shelters