Staging and Set Dry Hire: What's Available and How It Works

Staging dry hire typically covers the structural and set elements that define a performance or presentation space. The main categories available from most professional hire companies:

• Modular stage decking. 1m x 1m or 2m x 1m aluminium deck sections with adjustable leg systems, typically available in heights from 200mm to 1200mm and above. Heavy-duty variants are rated for crowd-load or specialist equipment loading.
• Staging risers. Smaller modular platforms for drum kits, band risers, presenter platforms and display areas. Often available in standard configurations with pre-set heights.
• Trussing. Box truss, corner blocks, cheeseboroughs and spigots for constructing overhead support structures, ground-support towers and portal frames. See section 02.
• Podiums and lecterns. Freestanding, typically adjustable height, some with mic holders and shelf provisions. Available in branded or unbranded finishes.
• Crowd barriers. Mojo or Mojo-style interlocking barrier panels for stage front, queue management or crowd channelling.
• Pipe and drape. Uprights, bases and crossbars for curtaining walls, masking backstage areas or creating draped backdrops. Fabric not always included, confirm separately.

Trussing systems on dry hire are used to create lighting and video support structures either suspended from venue rigging points, built as standalone ground-support systems, or configured as box-frame portals at stage wings.

The most common configurations in event dry hire:

• Ground support towers. Two vertical tower sections connected by horizontal truss span, typically in 6m or 8m spans, forming an overhead rig from the floor without requiring venue fly bars or rigging points.
• Stage wings (PA towers + lighting trusses). Vertical trusses at stage left and right providing hang points for PA systems and lighting fixtures alongside the stage.
• Portal frames. Front-of-stage arch or portal structures for backdrops, LED panels, or overhead rigging.

Every piece of staging has a Uniform Distributed Load (UDL) specification. This is the maximum weight per square metre the deck can accept safely across its surface. Standard event staging is commonly rated at 500 kg/m² or 750 kg/m². Heavy-duty deck for outdoor structures or industrial use can be rated higher.

What affects your load calculation:

• Live performers — movement creates dynamic load significantly higher than static weight
• Audio equipment on stage: monitor speakers, amplifier racks, drum kits
• Structural elements attached to the deck: lighting fixtures, screens
• Audience on raised areas (e.g., standing platforms at festivals)

For trussing, the equivalent specification is the chord loading in kilograms per metre (UDL) or the point load at mid-span. Both are published in the product specs. Total the weight of everything hanging from the truss — fixtures, PA, cable runs — before confirming the truss specification.

Stage decking can be assembled by a competent crew without specialist qualifications, provided the system is a standard adjustable-leg modular configuration and the assembly follows the manufacturer's guidance. Most experienced production crews can build standard stage decks correctly from the product documentation.

Trussing above head height is different. Ground-support systems carrying meaningful loads — lighting rigs, PA, video screens — must be designed and inspected by a qualified rigger. This is a legal requirement under the Work at Height Regulations and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). It is not optional because the event is small or the structure looks simple.

• Qualified rigger named for any overhead truss installation
• Rigging load calculations completed and available on site
• Venue structural capacity confirmed where applicable
• Ground-support base weighting calculated against span and dead load
• All truss connections and bolts torqued and checked before loading

For reference, some typical configurations for events at different scales:

• Small corporate presentation (50–150 delegates). 4m × 3m stage at 600mm high, single lectern, two hanging lighting bars on standalone stands. No specialist rigging required.
• Gala dinner or award ceremony (200–500 guests). 6m × 4m stage at 800mm, drum riser, two stage-wing towers with lighting and PA, ground-supported overhead span for lighting or LED.
• Outdoor concert or festival stage. Purpose-built stage structure with engineered loading, ground support system designed for PA and lighting combined, crowd barriers for a defined front-of-stage zone. Structural engineering sign-off required.

Staging and trussing is heavy. A single 2m x 1m deck section with legs typically weighs 25–40kg. A ground support system for a 6m x 6m stage with legs and bracing can exceed 500kg for the metalwork alone.

Before collecting:

• Vehicle confirmed as appropriate for the total weight and dimensions of the kit list
• Enough crew confirmed for loading — deck is a two-person lift minimum
• Loading bay or dock access confirmed at the hire warehouse
• Secure lashing points available in the vehicle for safe transit
• Site access at the venue confirmed: level approach, no steps or narrow access that prevents staging delivery