Festival toilet hire – everything you need to know

Having long been a feared but necessary evil, the toilet facilities can be the deal-breaker for many music fans thinking about going to a festival. Read on to find out why it doesn’t have to be like this.

Why festival toilets are essential

Festival portable toilets are more than just a convenience—they’re a necessity. Poor sanitation facilities can tarnish the reputation of even the most well-organised events. UK guidelines for event management recommend providing appropriate facilities based on the number of attendees and the event's duration. Without proper toilet provisions, you risk non-compliance with Health and Safety Executive regulations, not to mention disgruntled attendees.

Types of festival toilets available

We’ve come a long way from the festival toilet that was nothing more than a hole dug in the ground at the very early music festivals and today, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to toilet hire. The type of toilets you need will depend on your event size, budget, and level of luxury desired. Here are the most popular festival toilets available from Fortis Hire:

Standard plastic portable toilets

These are the classic portable toilets you’ll find at many festivals and on building sites up and down the country. They’re budget-friendly, easy to set up, and require minimal maintenance during the event. At Fortis hire, our standalone toilets feature a foot-operated fresh water hand basin, foot-operated flushing system, and are equipped with soap dispensers and hand towels. With a translucent roof and ventilation, the standard toilet unit is completely self-contained and requires no mains power. 

At Fortis Hire, our plastic range also includes a plastic disabled toilet, and a 6-man plastic urinal.

Luxury toilet hire

Ideal for premium events, luxury toilets for hire provide a more comfortable experience. These units have running hot and cold water, with flushing ceramic toilets, well-lit mirrors, good lighting, and spacious interiors finished to an exceptionally high standard. To find out more, read all about what makes our toilet trailers luxury. 

The range of trailers available, and the prestige experience they offer, make luxury toilets the perfect solution for VIP and backstage areas. The ever-popular luxury 3+1 toilet unit offers capacity for up to 300 guests across an 8-hour period and features 3 ladies’ toilets, 1 men’s toilet and 3 urinals, all finished to a high-end, boutique hotel standard. Our largest event unit, the luxury 4+2 toilet will happily cater for up to 450 guests, making it perfect for large-scale festivals, and offers 4 ladies' toilets, 2 men’s toilets and 4 urinals. A central door between sections enables this trailer to be turned into a single-gender unit. 

Disabled portable toilet hire

Ensuring inclusivity at your event is crucial. Accessible toilets are larger units designed for wheelchair users and attendees with mobility challenges. The charity, Scope, suggests there are 16 million* disabled people in the UK with 23% of working-age adults classed as disabled (this has risen from 14 million in 2019/20). It goes without saying that festival organisers need to provide accessible facilities and at Fortis Hire, we supply a choice of portable disabled toilet units – a luxury disabled toilet, a plastic disabled toilet, and a high dependency unit. Additionally, we offer a luxury accessible toilet and shower combi, perfect for multi-day events.

Portable vacuum toilets

Vacuum toilets are the perfect solution for organisers of large-scale public events who want to improve the environmental credential of their event. 100% chemical-free, and using up to 90% less water than their traditional flushing counterparts, vacuum toilets also keep queues down. Their reduced cycle time enables users to vacate them more quickly, allowing more traffic to pass through them compared to flushing toilet units. Our vacuum toilets are supplied as all-male pods, all-female pods and as urinal pods.

Portable urinals

For high-capacity events, standalone urinal units can reduce wait times for male attendees and keep queues manageable, freeing up the cubicled units for female guests. As well as the vacuum urinal pod, Fortis Hire also offers a luxury urinal option and a standard plastic urinal unit.

How many portable toilets do I need?

The number of toilets required depends on your event size and duration. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers guidelines for calculating this:

•    Short events (up to 6 hours) - one toilet per 75 women and one per 400 men, plus urinals for up to 500 men.
•    Long events (over 6 hours) - one toilet per 100 women and one per 500 men, with additional facilities for peak times.

Always err on the side of caution and consider hiring extra units to prevent queues and maintain hygiene.

Benefits of festival toilet hire for event organisers

Green field festivals will have no permanent facilities on site, or possibly even nearby. Luxury toilet hire means every venue or site can be considered and by hiring a combination of different units, organisers can tailor their toilet provision to their exact needs. Strategically positioned toilets on a large site means no one has to go far to find a loo and attendees will not miss their favourite acts because they’re stuck in a queue.

What to consider with festival toilet hire

•    Location and accessibility - choose flat, stable ground for installation. Toilets should be easily accessible but positioned away from food vendors and entertainment areas to maintain hygiene and comfort.
•    Servicing and maintenance - regular servicing during the event is crucial for cleanliness. At Fortis Hire, we offer maintenance packages, which include waste removal, cleaning and restocking consumables throughout the course of your event, as required. 
•    Sustainability – as well as our vacuum toilets, we also have the Fresh Flush 5-bay toilet, self-powered thanks to its solar panels. For event organisers, eco-friendly options like these will reduce the environmental impact of your event. 

Festival toilet hire from Fortis Hire

When you work with us, you will have the peace of mind that you are in safe hands! With over 20 years’ experience in the provision of festival toilets, we will work collaboratively with event organisers to give your guests the best festival experience. All that we ask is that you try to book as early as possible - toilet hire is in high demand during festival season, especially from May to September, so to avoid disappointment, get in touch to secure your units well in advance.

Our friendly sales team can be contacted by email at sales@fortishire.co.uk or by phone on 01525 643850.