The festoon lights buying guide
Festoon lights, explained.
New to festoon lights? Start here. What the bulb spacing means, which bulb gives which light, black or white cable, 240V or 24V, the layouts that work and how many metres a space takes.
Start here
What festoon lights are.
Festoon lights are an outdoor cable with a screw-in socket every 50cm or 100cm and a bulb in each socket. They are the big-globe lights strung over beer gardens, pergolas and backyards.
It comes in 10m pieces
Each piece is 10m long with a quick-connect end on both sides, so pieces join end to end into one longer run.
A bulb in every socket
The sockets are E27 screw-in, and every kit comes with a bulb for each one.
It plugs in
240V kits plug into a standard outdoor power point. 24V kits run through a low voltage driver that comes in the kit.
You make five choices
Spacing, bulb, cable colour, power and layout. This guide takes them one at a time.
Step 1: bulb spacing
50cm or 100cm? Here is what that looks like.
Same backyard, same bulb. The only thing that changes is the gap between the bulbs. It is the choice people find hardest to picture from words, so here are both.
Main light
50cm spacing
20 bulbs per 10m piece
Twice the bulbs of 100cm. Bright enough to be the main light in an entertaining area with nothing else lit. Each piece ends in a 25cm tail, so two joined pieces keep the same 50cm gap.
Feature light
100cm spacing
10 bulbs per 10m piece
Suited to a decorative feature. The better pick for a smaller space, or where you do not want the lights to take over. Each piece ends in a 50cm tail, so a join keeps the 100cm gap.
The quick rule
Is this the only light out there? Go 50cm. Is it one layer among others, or a smaller space? Go 100cm.
Know your spacing? The builder prices it for your length.
Step 2: the bulb
Six bulb styles. Pick by look, then by light.
Round 0.6W
G45
- Light
- 75 lm
- Colour
- Warm white 2700K
- Size
- 45×68mm
- Dimmable
- No
Frosted Round 1W
G45
- Light
- 100 lm
- Colour
- Warm white 2700K
- Size
- 45×68mm
- Dimmable
- Yes
Round 2W
G45
- Colour
- Very warm white 2200K
- Size
- 45×68mm
- Dimmable
- Yes
Teardrop 2W
S14
- Light
- 200 lm
- Colour
- Warm white 2700K
- Size
- 44×87mm
- Dimmable
- Yes
Edison 4W
ST58
- Light
- 400 lm
- Colour
- Very warm white 2200K
- Size
- 58×125mm
- Dimmable
- Yes
Large Round 4W
A60
- Light
- 400 lm
- Colour
- Very warm white 2200K
- Size
- 60×108mm
- Dimmable
- Yes
Most people choose by the look, the watts and the colour. Every bulb screws into the same E27 socket, so you can change it later without changing the cable. Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), not watts: the higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb.
2700K
Warm white
Relaxed and inviting, close to most household downlights. Patios, alfresco dining, backyard barbecues and beer gardens.
2200K
Very warm white
Candlelight, like a dimmed cafe or an old Edison globe. Courtyards, garden paths, firepit zones, wine bars and outdoor lounges.
6500K
Cool white
Crisp and bright, close to daylight. Driveways, sheds and workspaces. On the 24V range only.
Every bulb above is on the 240V range, and every one except the 0.6W round is dimmable. The 24V range carries eight styles, including cool white and multi colour.
Not sure which bulb? The builder shows each one and prices it for your length.
Step 3: cable and power
Black or white cable. 240V or 24V.
Same system, same bulbs. Pick the cable that disappears into your space. Black blends with dark timber, trees and the night sky. White sits quietly against white pergolas and render.
Most popular
240V
Plugs into a standard outdoor power point, for homes and venues alike. Six bulb styles, with kits from 10m up to 200m for most of them.
No electrician needed to plug it in. A new outdoor power point is a job for a licensed electrician.
Low voltage
24V
Runs through a low voltage driver that comes in the kit. The sensible choice near a pool, or anywhere guests can reach the lights. Eight bulb styles, with kits from 10m to 100m.
Every spacing, cable colour and voltage has its own product page.
Step 4: the layout
Five layouts, and what each one needs.
Zig-zag
Back and forth across the yard, usually between the house and a fence.
Needs: Fixing points on both sides. Posts along a fence about 2.5m apart suit a zig-zag.
Straight runs
Parallel lines along a beam, a fence line or over a long table. The simplest place to start.
Needs: A fixing at each end, and one at least every 7m along the way, or a support wire.
Around the edge
Along the edges. Frames the space and keeps the middle open to the sky.
Needs: A fixing at every corner, and at least every 7m along each side.
Centre pole
Runs out from one central pole to the edges, like a maypole.
Needs: A solid central pole, and a way to power every run.
Cross
Two runs corner to corner, meeting over the middle.
Needs: Corner to corner usually runs past 7m, so plan on a support wire.
Pick the shape first. It decides how many metres you need and where the fixing points go.
Strung up by customers.
The builder measures each of these layouts for your space.
Step 5: how many metres
How much festoon will I need?
A zig-zag over an 8m by 5m lawn
Six crossings of about 5.2m each come to about 31m of lights. Round up to whole 10m pieces.
Order 40m
40 bulbs at 100cm spacing, 80 at 50cm.
40m from A$391.20 at 100cm spacing on 240V
Three sides of the same lawn
5m, 8m and 5m come to 18m of lights. Round up to whole 10m pieces.
Order 20m
20 bulbs at 100cm spacing, 40 at 50cm. The 8m side is over 7m, so it needs a fixing point along the way or a support wire.
20m from A$199.20 at 100cm spacing on 240V
All four sides of a 4m by 4m gazebo
Four sides of 4m come to 16m of lights. Round up to whole 10m pieces.
Order 20m
20 bulbs at 100cm spacing, 40 at 50cm.
20m from A$199.20 at 100cm spacing on 240V
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Measure the space
Take a tape to the length and the width of the area you want lit.
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Trace the layout
Add up every stretch the lights will travel, fixing point to fixing point.
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Round up
Festoon comes in 10m pieces. It is much better to have a little over than a little short.
These are straight-line measures. If you want the lights to drape between fixing points, allow extra. Layouts made of separate runs, like straight runs, a centre pole or a cross, are counted run by run, with each run rounded up to whole 10m pieces. The builder does that for you.
Put in your own measurements and the builder works out the metres, the pieces and the price.
Hanging it
How to hang festoon lights.
An easy job to do yourself once the fixing points are right.
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Lay it out on the ground first
Map the whole run on the ground before anything goes up, and test every bulb while it is within reach.
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Start from the power point
Choose the layout with the power point in mind. Every kit comes with a lead to connect it, and on 240V you can add 3m or 5m extension leads for more reach.
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Keep fixing points under 7m apart
Over 7m between fixing points, run a support wire and tie the festoon to it. Spans over 7m without a support wire void the warranty.
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Hooks, then cable ties
Metal hooks or eyes make the fixing points. Close each hook once the cable is on, so wind cannot lift it off. On a support wire, a cable tie either side of each bulb gives a clean finish.
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No trees? Use posts
Posts screwed to a fence, or set in buckets of concrete on a hard surface, stand in for trees. Keep the lights no more than about 3.5m up.
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Screw the bulbs in, then switch on
Turn each bulb until its base meets the socket so the seal is tight, then connect the power and test the whole run.
In every kit
Festoon pieces with a bulb for every socket, and a lead to connect them to power. 24V kits also come with the low voltage driver.
What you add
Cable ties and fixing hooks. A support wire for any gap over 7m.
If a bulb goes out
Only that bulb needs changing, and the rest of the run stays lit. The sockets are E27 screw-in.
Questions
The things people ask before they buy.
Can I add more later?
Yes. Every piece is 10m long with quick-connect ends, so you can join more pieces now or next summer. Stick with Festoon House pieces: the connectors only fit the Festoon House range.
Do I need an electrician?
Not for the 240V kit into an existing outdoor power point: it plugs straight in. A new outdoor power point, or any fixed wiring, is always a job for a licensed electrician.
What happens if a bulb goes out?
Only that bulb needs changing, and the rest of the run stays lit. The sockets are E27 screw-in, and replacement bulbs are sold on their own or in multi-packs.
Can I dim them?
Every 240V bulb except the 0.6W round is dimmable. Remote dimmers are sold separately, one for 240V and one for 24V.
Black or white cable?
It is the same system in both colours, so pick the one that suits the space. White tends to disappear against white pergolas and render, black against trees and the night sky.
How high should they go?
As a rule, no more than about 3.5m up. If a post needs to be taller than 3m, stand it on its own rather than fixing it to a fence.
Still not sure what to order?
Email a photo of your space to support@festoonhouse.com.au or call 1300 246 282, and we will tell you exactly what it needs and how many metres to order.
Ready to work out your kit?
The builder takes the choices in this guide, measures your space and gives you one kit with the price for your length.
Or call 1300 246 282, or email a photo of your space to support@festoonhouse.com.au.
