How Many Uplights Do I Need?

How many uplights should I rent for my event? Several factors influence this including size of room, quantity of windows / doors / columns, locations of tables, and availability of outlets. Selecting a number of lights based on guest or seating capacity isn’t an effective strategy for an accurate light count, but it can get you within the ballpark.  We recommend making a layout based on your actual space for the classiest and most accurate results.

Whether you rent 4 or 44 uplights, it’s easy to achieve an elegant outcome. A few lights can draw your attention to a specific area of your venue. With a dozen or more lights, it’s possible to transform all the walls of your event space with color. Most of our customers rent between 10 and 16 lights for a typical event. 

In this post, we’ll share some considerations to help you determine how many uplights you should rent for your event.

• What is Uplighting?
• General Spacing Recommendations
• Simple Accent Lighting
• Where to put Uplighting
• Plan Around Outlet Locations
• Outdoor Uplighting

What is Uplighting?

Uplights are bright LED lights that shine in a single direction. These lights can be set to any color and have adjustable legs and a flexible power cable for easy positioning.  Uplights work best when grazing or shining along a wall. It’s recommended to place uplights approximately 1-2 feet away from a wall or column – pointed at the ceiling –  to illuminate the wall in color.  For outdoor events, uplights will illuminate trees, building facades, or columns in the same way you might use them indoors.  Wired uplights will require a power source, while wireless uplights give you flexibility to position them where power outlets may not exist.

General spacing recommendations

To light up an entire venue, we recommend spacing uplights anywhere from 6 to 20 feet apart. When positioning uplights, try to avoid overlapping the light beams by placing lights too close.  If the lights are located too far apart, the room can feel sparse.  Spacing uplights within this range generally produces a good result.

5 feet	Wall Wash	Solid color for a full wall wash
6-10 feet	Maximum Lighting	A bright and bold atmosphere
12-16 feet	Medium Lighting	Balanced but full wall coverage
20+ feet	Accent Lighting	Simple, yet colorful atmosphere

If your venue has solid walls with no windows, doors, or architectural elements, these spacing recommendations are relatively easy to use.  Simply measure the length of the wall, divide by your desired spacing, and the result is the number of lights per wall.  If you’re unsure of the wall spacing, contact your venue – most venues can give you a basic floor plan or dimensions.  

Simple accent lighting

For a more affordable solution, consider using uplights in one or two areas. Uplights can provide accent lighting behind a head table, a DJ booth, or near an entrance. Consider using 2 to 4 uplights per accent area to create simple but impactful accent lighting. 

Where to put uplighting

Most venues have windows and doors taking up a lot of wall space. While a spacing recommendation is a great place to start, it’s important to consider the actual layout of the space.  Uplights don’t work so well shining on windows or wall elements. Consider locating uplights between windows and doors on a relatively flat wall.  If your space has a lot of architectural columns or wall bump outs, try to locate 1-2 uplights at each column. Corners are also great places to locate an uplight, too.  Whatever you intend to illuminate, be consistent across the venue for the most intentional look.

Aside from walls, trees and posts – either inside or outside – are great elements to highlight.  Whether on the perimeter or in the middle of your space, these naturally tall elements can be illuminated much like a wall and can bring color and life to your event.

Plan around outlet locations

If you plan to use wired uplights, outlets can dictate where lighting fixtures need to be placed.  Many newer event facilities have plenty of outlets, but it is important to note where they lie across your venue – new or old. Uplights should be located within five feet of an outlet. Extension cords can extend that length, but consider the quantity of extension cords you may need if you’re renting more than a few uplights. If outlet locations are too far apart, consider wireless uplights; these battery powered lights can be placed anywhere across your venue without needing access to a receptacle. Wireless uplights are often slightly more expensive than their wired counterparts, but they remove the hassle of cords and cabling.

Outdoor uplighting

Uplighting can make a statement not only indoors, but also outdoors.  If you intend to use uplights outside, make sure that the light fixtures you intend to rent are outdoor-rated.  Outdoor uplights are typically water resistant and can withstand moisture, extreme heat, and rain or snow.  Most outdoor fixtures share the same functions and colors as indoor fixtures, but have added waterproofing. While outdoor uplights tend to cost more to rent, they are the only choice for safe and reliable lighting outside.