This is easily the question we're asked most. It sounds like it should have a complicated answer, but it doesn't — silent disco sizing is genuinely simple once you know the two things that matter: who is actually dancing and how big a buffer you want.
The simple rule
One pair of headphones per dancing guest, plus roughly 10% spare. That's it. The 10% covers three things: late arrivals, a pair that needs charging or swapping mid-event, and a couple of guests who want to hand a headphone to a friend for a song.
Below we break the rule down by event type — because "dancing guest" means different things at a wedding, a kids party and a school disco.
Weddings — size for evening guests only
Ceremony and daytime guests don't use headphones. The dancefloor kicks in at the evening reception, and that's the number that matters. Your invitation list usually tells you exactly what you need.
- Up to 25 evening guests → our 25-headphone package.
- 26–50 evening guests → the 50-headphone package.
- 51–100 evening guests → the 100-headphone package.
- 100+ evening guests → combine packages — get in touch.
Older guests who don't plan to dance still often ask for a headphone out of curiosity, so the 10% buffer matters here. If your evening list is 55, take the 100-pack rather than squeezing the 50-pack — running short of headphones is the one regret couples occasionally mention.
If you're on the border between two packages, always size up. A few unused headphones at the end of the night is a much better problem than telling a guest they can't dance.
Kids parties — one per child plus swaps
Kids share, drop, wander off with, and occasionally sit on their headphones. Add 2–3 spare pairs on top of the number of children.
- Up to about 22 children → the 25-pack.
- 23–47 children → the 50-pack (great for joint birthdays).
- Big class or year-group parties → the 100-pack.
Parents helping out don't usually need their own pair — but a couple of spare adult-fit pairs let them join the party games, which the kids love.
General parties — size for the peak, not the guest list
For 40th birthdays, anniversaries and garden parties, you're rarely dancing everyone at once. About 70–80% of guests will be on the dancefloor at peak — the rest will be catching up in the kitchen, having a smoke outside, or watching from the sofa.
So take your total invite number, multiply by 0.8, and use that as your target. A 60-person birthday usually runs perfectly on the 50-pack.
Schools & colleges — size for the room, not the roll
A common mistake is assuming a whole-school disco needs a pair per pupil. In reality, you're limited by how many students fit in the hall at once, and how many year groups you're running back-to-back. Size for the largest single session.
- Single class (Year 6 leavers, sixth form social) → 50-pack.
- Whole key stage rotation (KS2 in one session) → 100-pack.
- Prom or full year assembly → 100- or 150-pack.
We charge and turn kit around between sessions if you need to run KS1 in the morning and KS2 in the afternoon — just tell us when you enquire and we'll flag it in your booking.
Proms — one per attendee
Prom is different from a regular school disco: attendance is confirmed via tickets, and pretty much everyone dances at some point. Size at one headphone per ticket sold, and confirm final numbers with us a week before.
What if I get it wrong?
Tell us as early as possible. Adding a smaller top-up pack on top of your main booking is usually fine if we have kit spare — and we'll always try. But the further ahead you tell us, the more chance we have of getting it right.
Ready to size your event? Check availability and we'll help pick the right pack in your reply.