Event camping calculator
How many people can camp at your event?
Estimate camping capacity from your field, or the land needed for your overnight guests. Include tents, campervans, caravans and parking. Use acres, hectares or square metres. No sign-up needed.
1. Ground available for overnight camping
Use the part of your site available for camping and, if needed, campers’ parking. Leave out your stage, marquee and other daytime event areas.
1. Your overnight guests
Count overnight guests, including children. Day visitors and staff parking need a separate allowance.
2. How will people camp?
Give us a small example of the bookings you expect – such as 8 tents and 2 campervans. One booking uses one pitch. We scale that mix to your field or guest list; these are counts, not area percentages.
People and space per pitch – see or change
Editable starting assumptions, not a standard layout. Dimensions describe the whole pitch, not just the tent fabric. Allow for ropes, awnings and the separation your site plan needs.
3. Where will campers’ cars go?
Campervans are already counted as camping units. A caravan’s pitch includes its tow car. We do not add another parking space for either.
Paths, facilities and ground you cannot use
Parking is calculated from cars. We separately add shared camping space for paths and facilities. The starting allowance is a scenario to help you begin, not a calculated requirement for your event.
Updates as you change answers. No email or account needed.
Where the ground goes
| Camping type | Pitches | Sleeping places |
|---|
A sensitivity check, not a confidence range. The shared-space allowance grows with the pitches; parking stays based on car numbers.
Check your answers to see an updated estimate.
Use this as a camping space budget. Your final layout, ground conditions, access and facilities determine the workable capacity. It is not a ticket limit.
How many tents and people can camp on one acre?
In one illustrative scenario, a one-acre field has room in the area budget for 44 tent pitches and 88 sleeping places, including campers’ parking. Put the parking elsewhere and the same assumptions give 67 pitches and 134 sleeping places. The parking still needs separate land.
Both examples use an 8 m × 6 m pitch, two people per tent, one car per booking, 30 m² per car, and shared camping space equal to 25% of the pitch area. Your equipment, layout and site requirements may produce a lower workable capacity.
| Ground area | Car parking | Tent pitches | Sleeping places |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ acre | Within the field | 22 | 44 |
| 1 acre | Within the field | 44 | 88 |
| 1 acre | Elsewhere | 67 | 134 |
| 1 hectare | Within the field | 111 | 222 |
All rows use the same example assumptions above and no unavailable ground. These are area calculations, not campsite density standards or ticket limits.
How much land do you need for 100 camping guests?
With two people sharing each tent, 100 overnight guests need 50 tent pitches. Using the example above, those pitches take 2,400 m², shared paths and facilities add 600 m², and 50 cars add 1,500 m². That is 4,500 m² in total: about 1.11 acres or 0.45 hectares.
If campers park elsewhere, the camping ground is 3,000 m² and the parking needs another 1,500 m². Change the calculator to “I have guests” to use your own guest count, mix and assumptions.
How the camping capacity calculator works
- Start with usable ground or overnight guests. Exclude daytime event areas. If a wet patch or another unusable area is still included in your field measurement, enter it separately.
- Choose the camping units and their occupants. Each booking uses one pitch. A mixed example such as eight tents and two campervans sets the proportions of bookings, rather than percentages of land.
- Add parking and shared camping space. Tent and glamping bookings generate cars using your car-sharing choice. Campervans count once; the caravan pitch assumption includes its tow car.
Pitch area is width × length × number of pitches. Shared camping space is the selected allowance multiplied by pitch area. Parking area is the number of cars, rounded up, multiplied by the allowance per car.
For a mixed site, the calculator adds whole pitches in a repeating mix until the next pitch would exceed your ground. In guest mode, it adds pitches until there are enough sleeping places. It does not arrange the pitches on a map. The 20% larger-pitch comparison shows how sensitive the result is to your assumptions.
Event camping questions
What is a normal tent pitch size?
There is no universal pitch size. Published operator examples include 6 m × 5.5 m and 8 m × 6 m at Kennexstone, and 6 m × 6 m and 6 m × 8 m at Silverburn, where tent campers park separately. The starting BYO pitch in this tool is 8 m × 6 m (48 m²). Change it for the equipment and spacing in your own plan.
A 35 m² rectangle could be 7 m × 5 m. That says how much area it covers; it does not establish whether a particular tent and its required space fit.
How does the calculator estimate parking?
It counts tent and glamping bookings, divides by how many bookings share each car, and rounds up to whole cars. It then multiplies by your parking allowance per car. Campervans do not create an extra car; tow cars are included in the caravan pitch assumption. This model assumes tent bookings arrive by car, including when the parking is elsewhere. Staff, day visitors, extra vehicles and accessible parking requirements need their own provision.
How are different camping types mixed?
Choose a preset or give a small example of bookings. For instance, eight tents and two campervans means roughly four tent pitches per campervan pitch. We add whole pitches in a repeating, evenly spread mix until the next one would exceed your ground, or until there are enough sleeping places for your guests. Small sites can differ from the example mix because pitches cannot be split.
Can it work out every path and facility for me?
It can show how an allowance changes the space budget. It cannot infer routes, toilets, water points, emergency access or drainage from an area measurement alone. Shared space starts at 25 m² for each 100 m² of pitches; you can compare 15 or 40, or set it to zero if your pitch dimensions already include that provision. Site-specific facility counts and the final layout remain a separate planning step.
Does a result mean I can sell that many camping tickets?
No. The result only budgets area. The HSE’s venue and site design guidance explains why access, site suitability and the arrangement of facilities also matter. Confirm the layout and event requirements with your site team before setting attendance.
Can I use this for a festival without hiring bell tents?
Yes. Leave glamping out entirely. If only some guests want ready-pitched accommodation, choose your own mix and include those bookings alongside BYO camping.
How many square metres are in an acre or hectare?
One acre is approximately 4,046.86 m². One hectare is 10,000 m², or approximately 2.47 acres. The calculator converts your field measurement before working out pitches, shared space and parking.
Camping for festivals, weddings and private events
Use the same tool for guests bringing their own tents, live-in vehicles or a mixture of camping types. It estimates overnight space for festivals, weddings, retreats and private events. Keep space for stages, catering, marquees and day visitors separate.
If some guests would prefer accommodation already set up, include glamping in your custom mix. The Glamping Group provides bell tent hire for events; glamping is optional throughout this calculator.
Published pitch-size examples and the calculation method were checked on . Site-specific pitch allowances and the final layout still need your organiser’s review.