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The countdown is on. Edinburgh Cocktail Week is back, and it’s bigger, and bolder than ever before. Ten days of pop-ups, bespoke drinks, and events scattered across the city, yet the true heart of it all? That iconic Cocktail Village in Festival Square, the beating pulse that keeps the spirits flowing, and yes, it’s built by us here at Purvis Marquee Hire. Think you know marquees? Think again. When it comes to constructing a space that holds not just a crowd, but a whole experience, it’s a different game altogether.

When a Tent Becomes a Village

Festival Square might look like just a space on a map, but come 11th October, it transforms. Our job? To take a blank canvas and turn it into a destination, something with life, character, and atmosphere that keeps people coming back from midday to late evening. If you’re in the business of large-scale events, you know the drill: every detail matters, from the flow of foot traffic to the positioning of pop-up bars, ensuring that each patron’s experience feels as smooth as that first sip of a perfectly mixed Negroni.

But let’s talk infrastructure. Building a space that feels like a village within the heart of a bustling city centre isn’t just about sticking up a few poles and draping some fabric. We’re talking a network of pathways, covered seating areas, multiple bar locations, and of course, sheltering it all from that unpredictable Edinburgh weather. And we don’t just mean a roof over their heads. We mean creating a warm, dry, and downright inviting atmosphere where people want to linger. Because if you’re throwing an event that stretches from the early afternoon into the night, your guests need to feel that they could stay all day and more importantly, that they want to.

Behind the Scenes: Structure Meets Style

For the event pros reading this, you’ll know that good looks can only get you so far. Behind every memorable experience lies a ton of logistical sweat. Building a venue like this means considering capacity, load-ins, drainage, and power—none of which sound sexy, but try running a bar without them, and you’ll find yourself with a very different sort of cocktail hour.

We’ve been here before, and not just once or twice. Our experience with Edinburgh Cocktail Week means that when the event team says, “We want this to look like a chic urban retreat,” we know what they actually need is weather-rated flooring that won’t sink after the first rainstorm, heating units strategically placed to avoid cold spots, and lighting setups that bring ambience without blinding anyone. All this without ever compromising the look and feel of the space—because let’s be honest, atmosphere is everything when you’re trying to create memories.

From Chaos to Crafted Moments

If you’ve ever managed a large-scale outdoor event, you know that the chaos starts long before the guests arrive. We’re used to building under pressure, where every second counts and there’s always a surprise around the corner (no one plans for the storm of the century, but we’ve lived through a few). It’s about anticipating problems before they happen, having the backup plans ready, and knowing that a last-minute change is simply part of the process.

Purvis: Your Infrastructure Partner in Disguise

What makes Purvis different? We see the whole picture. We understand that what makes an event work isn’t just having enough tables and chairs or a roof that doesn’t leak. It’s about knowing how to turn a space into an experience, one that feels seamless to the guest but is underpinned by meticulous planning. It’s about being the partner who understands the pressure of working multi-site events, who can juggle the complexities, and keep that steady hand when things get tricky.

And come 20th October, as the final cocktail is poured and Festival Square begins to empty out, we’ll start the process in reverse, breaking it down piece by piece, and storing the memories alongside the structures. Because that’s the reality of events—here today, gone tomorrow, but done right, they live on in the stories that guests take home.

A Toast to the Ones Behind the Bar…and the Tent

So here’s to Edinburgh Cocktail Week 2024. Ten days of expertly crafted drinks and pop-up magic. To the bartenders shaking up something special, to the guests making the most of the festival vibe. And yes, to the Event Director who makes it all possible. At the end of the day, when you’re throwing a large-scale event, you need a team that knows how to build more than just a marquee. You need a team that can build a village. 😉