From pubs to wedding venues to back decks right across Australia, fun and functional festoon lights are everywhere these days. As the warm glow of their energy-saving LEDs can create a cozy atmosphere in a multitude of settings, it seems festoon lights will be 'hanging around' as a must-have garden feature for many years to come.
Therefore, we thought it was about time for this—our ultimate guide to festoon lights. Learn more about their benefits, how to hang them, what to look for when buying them, and some creative ideas of where to use them around your home.
What Are Festoon Lights?
Festoon lights are a type of string light featuring large, exposed bulbs spaced evenly along a cable. They give off more light than fairy lights and can feature different-sized and shaped bulbs. Often referred to as party lights, these light sources are popular in commercial spaces like bars and cafes.
That said, they are versatile and look great in all types of outdoor areas, run along ceilings, in place of ceilings, above dining tables, and around pool or entertainment areas.
Festoon Lights are Great for Homes, Businesses and Events
Whether in the backyard of a house or as a part of a lighting system for large events, festoon lights are suitable for a wide range of applications.
Benefits of Using Festoon Lights in Home Lighting Designs
Energy efficient, fun, flexible and extremely functional festoon lights look and work great on decks and patios. Their LED bulbs make them eco-friendly and energy efficient, with lower energy consumption than halogen lights.
Festoon lights are bright enough to avoid eye strain yet soft enough to provide a warm glow with a dimmable feature that helps to create a cozy atmosphere. They can be used as part of a layered lighting design in combination with other lighting options like wall lights or pendants.
Benefits of Festoon LED Lights for Businesses
Festoon lights are an ideal option for businesses looking to light up their outdoor spaces because they create a memorable ambience. They also increase the visibility of your business, helping it to stand out from the crowd, particularly for businesses such as restaurants and cafes.
Unlike solar garden lights, Fusion Lighting's low-voltage electrical connection festoon lights can operate with limited sunlight, all year round. This makes them suitable for areas that receive a lot of shade from adjoining buildings, for example. They also have a lower risk of an electrical shock than mains-powered lighting options should the wiring become exposed for any reason.
Festoon lights are safer than other lighting sources, such as lamps, because they are securely fixed, yet they are very easy to install.
Benefits of Festoons for Outdoor Lighting at Night Events
Festoon lights are the right lighting fixture to illuminate events as they help to create an intimate atmosphere, especially for celebrations like weddings. Unlike accent lighting such as pendant lights, festoon lighting fixtures draw attention to entire areas meaning that when combined with comfortable furniture, they can help to create clearly defined outdoor 'rooms'.
Choosing Between Different Brands of Festoon Lights
When choosing between different types of festoon lights, there are a few things to consider. The first is quality. Cheap solar lights won't last long and when they do fail, it's not simply a matter of replacing the bulbs—the whole thing just goes straight in the bin.
Fusion Lighting's options are made to the highest quality, and we offer a long warranty period because we're so confident in our product.
Another thing to consider is the type of bulb that's used. Halogen and incandescent bulbs produce heat. That attracts insects and results in high power use. However, we use super-tough and long-lasting LEDs that are suitable for all weather conditions and extremely energy efficient.
Installation Tips for Hanging Festoon Lights
The first step when hanging festoon lights is to get yourself a string light suspension kit from Fusion Lighting. This way, your lights can stay up permanently.
Next, assess what you plan to hang them from. If attaching to concrete or brick, use a wall plug to hold the eye screw in place. For timber, drill a pilot hole first. Pick the pattern you wish to hang your lights in and attach the eye screws accordingly.
Then thread the stainless-steel cable we supply through the eye screws and secure it with the Quicklink. Finally, attach the cable and put the bulbs in, and you're done.
Creative Ideas for Festoon Lights and Fairy Lights
When it comes to using string lights, you're only limited by your imagination. As they are easy to install, why not try some of these creative ideas at your business or home.
- Hang them over a dining area for rustic family dinners
- Wrap underneath oversized umbrellas for easy transitions from sun-filled days to cozy nights
- String along staircases for constant brightness and safety at night
- Place fairy lights inside jars and bottles to create lanterns
- Hang in strands from trees to give a rain effect
- Use at outdoor festivals or markets to highlight food stands or booths
- Decorate window displays with festoon lights to draw attention to your business after-hours
- Use on patios, terraces, decks or indoors to create a relaxing space
Where to Find the Best Quality Festoon Lights
Lower your electricity use, stop constantly replacing those useless solar garden lights and make safety a priority with the highest-quality festoon lights on the market from Fusion Lighting.
Our dimmable, shatter-proof, safe low-voltage party lights are long-lasting and easy to install, making it possible to instantly transform your outdoor space into an area that you can actually use after dark. Visit our website to find out more about why ours are the best festoon lights you can buy in Australia or call us on 1300 463 735 and we can help you out with a free custom lighting plan for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Fusion Lighting's festoon lights superior to other brands?
Fusion Lighting's festoon lights are dimmable and shatter-proof and use power-saving LED bulbs and strong, UV-stabilised cables. We put safety first with our low-voltage systems that feature connectable cables and provide you with friendly, reliable advice whenever you need it.
Does festoon lighting require installation support?
If your spans are greater than 5 metres and you want to leave the lights out permanently, then yes, it's a good idea to support them. We supply string light suspension kits that make it easy to hang your lights without any specialist tools and ensure they will stay in place.
What is the best height for festoon lights?
It's best to hang festoon lights at least at the standard ceiling height of 2.4 metres to ensure the safety of your space.
What's the difference between festoon lights and fairy lights?
Festoon lights and fairy lights are both types of string lights, but festoon lights have larger bulbs and emit more light.
