Top Outdoor Event Trends in 2026: What’s In and What’s Out?

Happy New Year! The first few weeks of January are always a great time to take stock of all the highs and lows of the year that’s just passed, and use these to pinpoint for yourself what energy you want to carry with you into the new year.

This is what our event planners at Marquee Monkeys have been doing for our first few weeks back at home base after the Christmas break. We’ve been reflecting on all the fantastic outdoor events that we helped to curate over 2025, looking through all the new additions to our events gallery, ruminating on feedback from our clients and eventgoers, conducting a little market research, and ultimately brainstorming ways that we can make our outdoor events in 2026 feel even more magical, memorable, and purpose-driven.

So what are our ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ for outdoor events in 2026? Stick with us as we dive deep into our top outdoor event trends that will be sure to elevate your shindigs in the new year.

What’s NEW in 2026 for Outdoor Events?

Here are our top picks for what’s ‘IN’ for outdoor events across 2026.

Combining Hyper Local with Virtual Guest Lists

If you’ve ever wanted to transform your local park into an event space and pack it full of your favourite local food trucks and vendors, then 2026 is the year to get it done. 2025 was filled with a good share of remote and virtual events, ranging from seminars and conferences to exhibitions and conventions. In 2026, we’re firmly saying no more to the idea of ‘virtual-first’, and bringing the focus back to championing a local presence – that is, of course, still inclusive of virtual attendees.

Why are we combining local flair with virtual guest lists? Well, because the end goal is to alleviate FOMO, but also inspire your virtual attendees to try and make your next gathering. It’s all about building a community event that encourages your entire community to come together, whether it be by providing great dishes from local cafes and restaurants, and generally just making your outdoor event rooted in its vibrant local surroundings.

‘Invisible’ Infrastructure and Comfort Amenities

What’s one thing you’ll always be sure to appreciate about the atmosphere of a great music festival? It’s the immersion, of course! The booming music and cheers from the crowd provide an atmosphere that can’t be matched by any other kind of event. Add to that the open air feeling, and it’s clear why music festivals make us feel nostalgic.

So why wouldn’t you want your outdoor events in 2026 to have that same level of excitement and immersion? Thankfully, with party infrastructure like clear span marquees and streamlined outdoor-rated lighting and heating, you can make sure your outdoor event space still feels very grounded in that open air feeling and immersed in the atmosphere of your event, whilst still ensuring that your guests stay comfortable.

Simply put, this is one of the most practical outdoor event trends for 2026: keeping your party infrastructure as ‘invisible’ as possible, so your celebration feels less about the equipment, and more about the environment.

Wellness-driven Event Experiences

Speaking of immersion, one of our favourite outdoor event trends for 2026 is a return to nature and healthy living-inspired event itineraries. We’re doing away with ‘frozen and fried’ canapes for little bites made with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. In fact, even cocktail (and mocktail!) menus are going to be inspired by the local seasons, and perhaps even include uniquely Australian flavours – we’re looking at you, finger limes! 2026 is your year to become a global phenomenon!

On top of real, local food, we’re also seeing a return to natural party decor – think wreaths made from actual flowers, aromatic gum leaves, and other native flora. And best of all, outdoor events in 2026 are also going to include activities that nourish the mind, body, and soul. We’re keen to see more mindful movement activities in corporate events, plus creative workshops, and other activities that encourage eventgoers to just enjoy the beautiful day they get to spend at your event.

Eco-friendly Outdoor Events

This return to natural event environments will definitely be paired with a doing away of single use cutlery and disposable event decor. Instead, eco-consciousness will be ‘IN’ for outdoor events in 2026. This means securing high-quality dinner and glassware for your guests to use on sturdy, highly-presentable tables and chairs – not plastic lawn furniture.

Eco-friendly outdoor events are also all about leaving your event space just how you found it. In other words, not a single piece of rubbish gets left behind. If you can, have green waste, recycling, and landfill waste bins available to your guests to use, and make sure you clean up thoroughly afterwards.

Pro tip: if you’re planning to host an outdoor party in autumn as the summer breeze turns more into a bracing chill, consider securing your bins to prevent wind from picking up litter.

Soft Socialising Environments

One of the best reasons to have a marquee party is that the alfresco setting pairs perfectly with soft socialising. There’s just so much stimuli in an outdoor event space which we’ve found makes it a little easier to connect gently with new people.

It also helps to have plenty of event elements for your attendees to interact with. This can include things like a buffet, serviced bar, omelette station, event games, photobooths, and best of all a dance floor! Thinking about how you’d like your attendees to interact with your space can also help ensure that your event space is conducive to soft and organic socialising over forced ‘networking’. Though more on ‘networking’ below in our list of ‘OUTs’.

What’s OUT for Outdoor Event Trends?

And what aren’t we bringing with us into the New Year? Let’s dive into our ‘OUTs’ for outdoor events in 2026.

Overpacked Event Itineraries

We’re doing away with FOMO in 2026, which means that your event itineraries shouldn’t be so jam-packed that your guests will have to choose between activities. Instead, make sure your event itineraries provide an opportunity for your guests to enjoy a little bit of all the action, with ample time to boogie down on the dance floor in and amongst nibbling on some appetizers and getting a few custom cocktails at your open bar.

Disposable Event Decor

We went into this a little bit up above, but it’s worth mentioning again. Plastic bunting, fake flowers, and other disposable event decor is a definite ‘OUT’ in 2026. Not only do these seriously clash with the natural environment in outdoor events, but they can also run the risk of your event decor feeling cheap and tacky. Don’t go to a discount party store to get your party decor – collaborate with a great local florist to create living decorations that help elevate your garden party feel.

Static Venue Spaces and Event Activities

Weddings can be very long days for guests and the wedding party alike. But one thing that helps break up the day quite organically is that you change environments between the ceremony and the reception. You may use flowered archway as your outdoor altar in a wedding ceremony, but a wedding marquee space for keeping your guests comfortable at the reception.

In 2026, we’d like to see more event planners apply this strategy to other events to help prevent their event spaces from feeling too ‘static’. The same goes for their event activities as well. Think about how you can take a traditional event activity like a photobooth and revolutionise it into something dynamic and more immersive. Let’s say instead of a traditional box photoshoot, you hire a 360 glambot, or even a vintage van photobooth that lets your guests pile in with gusto for some happy snaps. The options are endless when you think outside the box.

Millennial Grey Aesthetics

In the same vein of disposable party decor, outdoor event trends for 2026 are heralding a final nail in the coffin of the ‘millennial grey’ moment. This drab approach to design dies now, we say! And the best way to kill it off is by embracing warmer neutrals like taupe, mushroom, and terra cotta accents.

And if you do feel so inclined, why not add a little maximalist flair to your event decor as well? Want a tropical theme with lush rainforest decor and flamingo pink glassware? Then bring your vibrant vision to life in 2026!

Events that Revolve Around ‘Networking’

One of our favourite corporate event trends for the new year has to be a firm shift away from traditional ‘networking’. The same-old environment of canapes on serviettes while you all stand in circles chatting is starting to feel a little stale. And how much real ‘networking’ can you do when you’re just making small talk for an hour or so between seminars?

In 2026, we’re set to see a shift from this traditional construct of networking to a more hands-on, interactive and dare we say gamified brand of networking, that encourages you to actually team up with new acquaintances to meet fun objectives. In doing so, party connections actually end up becoming genuine friends. This in a nutshell, is also how we make sure our corporate events stay fun in 2026.

Make Your Outdoor Events Magic and Memorable in 2026

The future of outdoor events is looking bright to say the very least thanks to these forecasted 2026 event trends. Whether you’re looking to host a summer shindig or create a winter wonderland, be sure to keep these event trends in mind to help make your 2026 outdoor events feel like a whole little world of their own.

Want to hire a marquee for your outdoor events in 2026? Then check out our full catalogue of marquees for hire to get your creative juices flowing, have a look through our price list to get your organising hat on, or simply get in touch with us if you have any questions for our team of event experts here at Marquee Monkeys.