Outdoor events need more than a great location and a strong cause. They need practical infrastructure that helps people move, gather, rest, register, volunteer, fundraise and enjoy the day comfortably.
That was the role our marquees played at Motor Neurone Disease, The Great MND Relay 2026 at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park.
Instant Marquees Melbourne supplied a combination of 3m x 3m instant marquees and 6m x 3m instant marquees for the event, helping create functional event zones across one of Melbourne’s most recognisable sporting venues. The marquees provided shelter, structure and clear activity areas for participants, volunteers, supporters and event staff throughout the day.
The Great MND Relay 2026 was held on Saturday 16 May 2026 at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. The event brought people together to walk, run and roll in support of those living with motor neurone disease, with fundraising directed towards care, support and assistive equipment for people impacted by MND and their loved ones.
For an event built around movement, community and care, the marquee setup needed to be simple, flexible and effective. That is where instant marquees work particularly well.
Supporting a major Melbourne fundraising event
The Great MND Relay is a major community fundraising event for MND Victoria. The 2026 event invited participants to take part at Lakeside Stadium, with the event running from 8:00am to 2:30pm. It is a chance to walk, run and have fun at the Albert Park venue, with activities, live music, games and prizes adding to the day.
Events like this rely on careful planning. Participants need clear places to gather. Volunteers need shaded work areas. Sponsors, merchandise teams, information points and hospitality areas all need defined spaces that are easy to locate.
In the supplied event photos, the marquees can be seen across several key areas of the venue. White instant marquees line the concourse and trackside areas, creating a consistent and professional look while allowing each zone to serve a different purpose. Some marquees are used for event services such as merchandise, face painting and raffle tickets. Others support hospitality areas, including the Champion VIP Zone shown beside the blue track.
This is a good example of how instant marquees can be used across one event in multiple ways, without the setup becoming complicated or visually cluttered.
Why instant marquees suited the Lakeside Stadium event?
Lakeside Stadium is a large, open venue. It has broad concrete areas, trackside spaces, spectator areas and open viewing points across the stadium. For this type of site, event equipment needs to be quick to install, easy to position and suitable for different zones.
Instant Marquees Melbourne specialises in simple and affordable marquee hire, with a focus on pop-up marquees for events where fast setup and cost-effective hire are important. The company supplies marquees and umbrellas for everything from family celebrations to corporate and public events at major Melbourne venues.
For The Great MND Relay 2026, instant marquees were a practical fit because they could be placed exactly where event teams needed them. The 3m x 3m marquees provided compact shelter for smaller stations, while the 6m x 3m marquees created larger covered spaces for higher-traffic areas.
That mix of sizes gave the event team flexibility. Instead of using one large structure for everything, each space could be shaped around its purpose.
3m x 3m instant marquees for compact event stations
A 3m x 3m instant marquee is one of the most useful sizes for public events. It is compact enough to fit along walkways and concourses, while still providing enough covered space for staff, tables, signage and event materials.
At The Great MND Relay 2026, this size was well suited to smaller activation points and support areas. In the images, several smaller white marquees appear across the stadium precinct, helping create clear, easy-to-find locations for visitors moving around the event.
For charity events, fun runs, school events, sports days and community festivals, 3m x 3m marquees are often used for:
- Registration desks
- Volunteer check-in points
- Information booths
- First aid or support stations
- Small sponsor displays
- Merchandise counters
- Ticketing or raffle areas
- Food and drink service points
Their main advantage is versatility. A 3m x 3m marquee can stand alone, sit beside a larger marquee, or be repeated across a site to create a consistent event layout.
6m x 3m instant marquees for larger covered areas
The 6m x 3m instant marquees provided extra space where the event needed more coverage. This size is ideal when one standard marquee is not quite enough, but a large structure marquee is not required.
The photos show larger white marquees creating more generous, covered zones, including a hospitality-style area with seating, tables, stools, bean bags and roped entry points. This setup gave the area a more complete event feel, with shade overhead and enough room for people to gather comfortably.
A 6m x 3m marquee is useful for:
- VIP areas
- Sponsor lounges
- Large merchandise areas
- Food service areas
- Team marquees
- Event control points
- Volunteer hubs
- Shaded seating areas
- Prize or presentation zones
For The Great MND Relay, the larger marquees helped support the social side of the event. Participants and supporters were not just moving around the track. They were spending time at the venue, connecting with others, visiting stalls and taking part in the wider event experience.
Creating a clear event layout
One of the most important parts of marquee hire for public events is layout. A marquee does more than provide shade. It helps guide people through the site.
In the images, the marquees create visual structure around the stadium. Visitors can easily see where key areas are located. The merchandise, face painting and raffle ticket marquees use blue signage across the front, making each zone clear from a distance. This is especially useful in a busy event environment where families, participants and volunteers are moving through the same space.
The white canopies also helped keep the event presentation clean and consistent. Against the blue athletics track, green playing field and open Melbourne sky, the marquees looked bright, neat and professional.
For fundraising and community events, this matters. A clear event setup improves the visitor experience and helps event staff manage movement, enquiries and activity throughout the day.
Shade and shelter for participants, volunteers and supporters
Melbourne event weather can change quickly. Even on a fine day, shade is important for participants, volunteers and guests who may spend several hours outdoors.
The Great MND Relay is built around physical participation, with people walking, running or rolling as part of the challenge. The event site also includes spectators, families, carers, volunteers, stallholders and event staff. Having covered spaces available makes the day more comfortable for everyone.
Instant marquees offers quick, portable and flexible shade and shelter solution for outdoor events, with staff able to deliver and erect marquees quickly and efficiently.
At Lakeside Stadium, that flexibility supported a range of needs. Some marquees were positioned close to the action on the track. Others were placed along the concourse where people could browse, ask questions, buy merchandise or take part in activities.
A professional finish for a community cause
The Great MND Relay has strong community meaning. It brings people together around a cause that affects many Australian families. Two Australians are diagnosed with MND every day. Involvement in the relay helps raise vital funds for care, support and assistive equipment.
For events with this level of emotional and community importance, the physical setup should feel organised and respectful. Marquees help with that by creating order across a large site. They give staff and volunteers a base, provide clear locations for participants and make the event easier to navigate.
The images show a well-presented venue with marquees integrated into the overall event design. The track, signage, staff shirts, event branding and activity areas all work together. The marquees do not dominate the space. They support it.
That is often the best result for event hire. The equipment should do its job well while allowing the event, the cause and the people to remain the focus.
Why marquee hire works well for relay and charity events
Charity events often need a balance between budget, function and presentation. Organisers want the event to look professional, but they also need equipment that is practical and efficient.
Marquee hire is well suited to this type of event because it provides:
- Flexible shelter where it is needed
- A clean and consistent event look
- Defined zones for staff, services and sponsors
- Fast installation and pack down
- Practical coverage without permanent infrastructure
- Scalable options for small and large areas
The value of mixed marquee sizes
Using both 3m x 3m and 6m x 3m marquees allowed the event layout to be tailored to each area.
A 3m x 3m marquee is ideal when space is limited or when a single function needs its own point. A 6m x 3m marquee is better when more people, furniture or stock need to fit under cover.
Together, they create a flexible event system. Smaller marquees can be repeated across the venue for consistency. Larger marquees can anchor the more active or high-traffic spaces.
This is especially useful at stadiums and sporting venues, where some areas are narrow and others are open. The right combination of sizes helps keep the site balanced.
What the photos show?
The event photos highlight several practical benefits of the marquee setup.
The wide stadium view shows white marquees positioned around the track and activity areas, supporting a large public event without blocking the open feel of Lakeside Stadium.
The Champion VIP Zone photo shows a larger covered hospitality area with furniture, carpet, rope barriers and signage. The marquee creates a comfortable, defined space while keeping guests connected to the relay atmosphere.
The merchandise, face painting and raffle ticket photo shows how marquees can be used side by side to create a functional event village. Each marquee has a clear role, with front-facing signage helping visitors quickly find what they need.
The concourse photo shows how marquees can line a pedestrian route without interrupting movement. This type of setup works well for sponsor activations, community stalls, merchandise, food, information and fundraising activity.
Together, the images show a practical, well-planned marquee hire layout for a busy Melbourne event.
Marquee hire for Melbourne stadiums and public events
Public events need suppliers who understand timing, access, setup locations and presentation. At a venue like Lakeside Stadium, marquees need to be delivered, positioned and installed efficiently so the broader event build can continue around them.
Instant Marquees Melbourne works across a wide range of events, including corporate events, festivals, council events, schools, clubs and large public gatherings. The company’s focus on portable pop-up marquee hire makes it a strong fit for venues where event areas need to be created quickly and adapted to suit the site.
For event organisers, that means marquees can be used for a single compact station or a full event precinct. The same hire product can support a registration desk, merchandise stall, VIP lounge, first aid point or sponsor area, depending on the layout.
A proud contribution to The Great MND Relay 2026
Instant Marquees Melbourne was proud to provide the 3m x 3m and 6m x 3m instant marquees for Motor Neurone Disease, The Great MND Relay 2026 at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park.
The event brought together thousands of people in support of an important cause, creating a strong sense of community across the stadium. Our role was to provide reliable, practical and professional shelter that helped the event run smoothly from start to finish.
For charity events, corporate functions, sporting events, school events, council activations and public festivals, the right marquee setup can make a significant difference. It creates comfort, improves wayfinding, supports staff and gives each activity the space it needs.
The Great MND Relay 2026 showed exactly why instant marquees remain such a valuable solution for Melbourne events. They are fast to install, flexible in layout, practical for large sites and effective at creating professional event spaces without overcomplicating the setup.
For organisers planning a similar event, a combination of 3m x 3m and 6m x 3m instant marquees is often a smart starting point. It gives you compact stations where you need them, larger coverage where crowds gather and a consistent look across the whole venue.
