In short. Event power is planned around the event schedule: setup, rehearsal, live operation and dismantling each have different loads and risks. Separate sound, lighting and LED screens from catering and cooling, balance single-phase loads across phases, choose silent sets placed away from the audience, and decide what interruption the show can tolerate. If a power loss would stop the event, provide a second source with a defined transfer arrangement.
Why event power is its own discipline
A failure at a factory is a production loss. A failure at a concert, wedding, exhibition or conference is visible to everyone at once and cannot be repeated. Event loads are also unusual: LED walls, moving lights and amplifiers are non-linear electronic loads; catering and air-cooling are heavy and often single-phase; and the whole installation is built, run and removed within days, often in a public area.
Separate the event into periods
| Period | Typical demand | Planning focus |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Work lights, tools, rigging motors, testing of systems | Small set or partial supply, safe cable laying |
| Rehearsal | Sound, lighting, screens at near full use | Verify load per phase and voltage quality |
| Live operation | Full show load, catering, cooling, guest facilities | Maximum demand, redundancy, monitoring |
| Dismantling | Work lights, tools, vehicles | Safe de-energisation sequence |
Keep sensitive loads apart
Sound systems pick up noise from switching loads and from earth loops. Put audio on its own generator or feeder, away from catering, cooling and lighting dimmers, and keep a single, clean earth reference. LED walls and moving lights draw current with high harmonic content, which adds in the neutral, so the neutral cable must be at least as large as the phase cables. Allocate catering and single-phase loads deliberately across phases and check the ammeters at rehearsal. Background on harmonic loads is in UPS and non-linear loads.
Redundancy for the show
If losing power would stop the event, decide what interruption is acceptable. A second generator with a changeover switch gives a restart within seconds; a UPS on the sound desk, show control and critical lighting bridges that gap. Synchronised sets sharing the load let one drop out without interruption. Whatever is chosen, test the transfer during rehearsal, not during the show. Transfer equipment is covered on rental ATS.
Noise, placement and public safety
Use acoustic enclosed sets, place them as far from the audience and neighbours as the cable plan allows, and point exhaust and radiator discharge away from people. A catalogue noise figure is measured at a stated distance in open conditions; the level at a boundary depends on distance, reflecting surfaces and the number of sets. Barricade generator and fuel areas, cover or bridge cables across walkways and vehicle routes, and keep extinguishers at each set. See acoustic enclosed generator sets.
Fuel and operation during the event
Fill tanks before the show; refuelling during the event near guests should be avoided. A technician should stay with the sets through live operation, watching load, temperature and fuel, with a clear contact to the production manager for alarms.
A worked load estimate
A load estimate built from vendor figures is far more reliable than a guess from the size of the venue. Consider an outdoor evening event in Hyderabad (illustrative). The sound vendor quotes 40 kW for the main system and monitors, lighting 60 kW of moving heads and LED fixtures, an LED wall 30 kW at full brightness, catering 45 kW including fryers and refrigeration, and air coolers and fans 25 kW. The total is 200 kW. Not every load peaks together, but at a live show most of it does, so a diversity of 0.9 is reasonable, giving 180 kW, or about 225 kVA at 0.8 power factor.
A sensible arrangement is a 125 kVA set dedicated to sound and the LED wall, a 160 kVA set for lighting, and a separate 125 kVA set for catering and cooling, with a changeover so the lighting set can back up the show set if needed. Each set runs at a healthy load, audio is isolated from compressors and fryers, and no single failure stops the whole event. A single 320 kVA set would be cheaper, but it would mix sensitive and switching loads and leave no backup at all.
Distribution and cables in public areas
Cable routes at events cross walkways, stage entries and vehicle paths. Use rubber-sheathed flexible cables, cable ramps at every crossing, and distribution boards with 30 mA earth-leakage protection on every circuit that serves sockets or areas the public can reach. Keep distribution boards locked or attended, and label each outgoing feeder with the vendor it supplies. After the event, de-energise in a planned order before vendors start disconnecting, so nobody pulls a live connector. Cable and panel practice is described on temporary distribution panels.
Common mistakes
- Putting sound on the same feeder as catering and cooling. Hum and dropouts appear in the audio when compressors cycle.
- Undersizing the neutral for LED and lighting loads. The neutral cable overheats even though phase currents look normal.
- Testing backup transfer for the first time during the show. A wiring or setting error causes the outage it was meant to prevent.
- Placing sets for convenience near the audience. Noise and exhaust complaints force a relocation at the worst time.
What to send us
Send the event schedule from setup to dismantling, the equipment list from the sound, lighting and screen vendors with their power requirements, catering and cooling loads, a venue plan with possible generator positions, and any noise limits. Send a generator rental enquiry and we will propose sets, distribution and backup.
Questions engineers ask
What size generator do I need for an event?
Add the power requirements from each vendor for the live period, allow for diversity and starting of cooling equipment, and divide kW by 0.8 for kVA. Then split the total across separate sets or feeders for sound, lighting and general loads.
Do I need a backup generator for an event?
If a power loss would stop the show or create a safety issue in a crowd, yes. The backup needs a defined transfer method and should be tested during rehearsal.
How quiet are silent generators?
Acoustic enclosures reduce noise considerably, and manufacturers quote levels at a stated distance. The level heard at the audience or boundary depends on distance, surroundings and number of sets, so placement matters as much as the enclosure.
Why does my sound system hum on generator power?
Usually because of an earth loop or because audio shares a supply with switching loads. A dedicated feeder or set for audio with a single earth reference normally cures it.
Generators by rating
- Under 15 kVA generators
- 15–50 kVA generators
- 50–125 kVA generators
- 125–250 kVA generators
- 250–500 kVA generators
- 500–1000 kVA generators
- 1–2 MVA generators
- 2 MVA and above generators
Technical content reviewed by Srinivas Reddy, Managing Partner, Reddy Generators. Last updated 19 October 2026.