Best Festoon Lights in Australia

Festoon lights are the cheapest upgrade your backyard will ever get

Move into a new place in Australia and the backyard is usually the last thing that gets any love. The inside gets painted, the kitchen gets sorted, and the outdoor area sits there as a slab of concrete or a patch of lawn you walk past. A single string of festoon lights changes that faster and for less money than almost anything else you can buy. Hang one run of warm bulbs over a deck, a pergola or a courtyard and suddenly you have somewhere people want to sit after dark.

Festoon lights are the fat, spaced-out globes you see strung above beer gardens and wedding marquees, not the fine fairy-light wire and not the spike lights you push into garden beds. The bulbs sit about half a metre to a metre apart on a heavy cable, they throw a soft glow rather than a flood, and the good ones survive an Australian summer of sun, wind and the odd storm. Prices on Amazon AU sit mostly between about $30 and $70, which is why this is one of the easiest first-home purchases to justify.

We looked at the sets Australians are actually buying and reviewing, checked each one on Amazon AU for a real star rating and price, and sorted them by how you would actually use them: the all-rounder, the value long run, the cheapest worth buying, the two solar options for anyone without an outdoor power point, and the remote-controlled set for people who want to dim from the couch.

What are the best festoon lights in Australia right now?

For most people the answer is the Roccar 30M Festoon Lights. Thirty metres of cable carries 50 warm-white bulbs, it holds a genuine IP65 weather rating, and because it plugs into mains power you can link up to eight sets end to end from a single power point. At 4.6 stars across 210 Australian reviews it is the most proven plug-in set we found, and at $59.99 it sits right in the sweet spot of the category.

If you want almost the same coverage for less, the Roshin 31M is $47.49 and carries the highest owner rating on this whole page at 4.7 stars. The cheapest set worth buying is the Roshin 15M at $31.99. If you have nowhere to plug in, the solar Quntis Outdoor Lights at $50.99 is the pick, with a USB-C backup for cloudy weeks and the most reviews of any set here. Every price, rating and review count below was pulled from Amazon AU, not guessed.

How the six festoon light sets compare at a glance

The quickest way to narrow this down is to decide two things first: can you reach an outdoor power point, and how long a run do you need. Plug-in sets are brighter and link together for big spans; solar sets go anywhere but are dimmer and shorter. This table lines up all six on those points so you can see where each one lands before reading the full write-ups.

How we researched and chose these festoon lights

NestPath does not run a lighting lab, and we are not going to pretend a set of party lights spent a month on our own pergola. What we do is study the evidence that already exists at scale, then filter it hard so you are not reading a list padded with reseller listings and fake five-star noise.

We started with the sets that actually rank and sell on Amazon Australia for festoon and outdoor string lighting, then checked each candidate directly against the Amazon AU listing in English for Australian shoppers. Every set that made this page had to be genuinely in stock, hold a real star rating with a meaningful number of reviews behind it, and sit at a sane price for the category. Where a listing showed a price two or more times the category median, we treated it as a reseller artefact and dropped it rather than passing the inflated number on to you.

From there we read the Australian reviews rather than the global ones, because a light that survives a British summer is not the same as a light that survives Queensland sun. That is where the useful detail lives: which bulbs yellow in the heat, which cables are too long between linked sets, which solar panels still charge on a short winter day. We weighted four things: weather rating and real-world durability, brightness and warmth of the light, how easy the set is to hang and extend, and the balance of price against run length. The picks below are ordered by use case, not by price, so you can jump straight to the one that fits your space.

The best all-round festoon lights for most Australian backyards

The Roccar 30M is the set we would hang first in a typical Australian backyard, and it is the one most people should buy. Thirty metres of cable is enough to cross most pergolas, wrap a courtyard or run the length of a deck in a single line, and it arrives carrying 50 warm-white G40 bulbs with two spares, spaced about 0.56m apart so the light reads as a continuous glow rather than isolated dots.

Two things lift it above the pack. First, the weather rating is a true IP65, the highest of any plug-in set on this page, which means it shrugs off rain, wind and full-sun exposure rather than merely surviving a light drizzle under cover. Second, it plugs straight into a 240V power point and links end to end, up to eight sets from one outlet, so a big backyard does not need a big rewire. The lead from the plug to the first bulb is about 2.3m, long enough to reach most outdoor sockets without an extension. The bulbs are shatterproof plastic with a hook moulded into every holder, so hanging them along a fence line or over cable is genuinely quick.

Australian reviewers back this up. At 4.6 stars across 210 ratings it is the most-reviewed mains set we found, and the recurring praise is for the warm output, the easy per-bulb hooks and linking two runs off one socket. Several note the lights are bright, which is great for entertaining but worth flagging if you want dim and moody.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

There is no dimmer and no remote, so it is full brightness or off unless you add a separate plug-in dimmer. A few buyers found the odd bulb worked loose in transit, fixed by a quick tighten before hanging. And a 240V set strung over a pool area should be run through a plug-in RCD. None of that changes the verdict at this price.

The best value festoon lights if you want a long run for less

The Roshin 31M does something clever: it gives you a metre more cable than our top pick and the same 50-bulb count, for about twelve dollars less. If budget is the deciding factor but you still want to light a full pergola or deck, this is the set that stretches furthest per dollar.

It also happens to carry the highest owner rating on this entire page, 4.7 stars, which is not something you often see at the value end. The 50 G40 bulbs run at a warm 2700K, closer to the colour of a sunset than the top pick's slightly brighter white, and the lead from the plug to the first bulb is a generous 3m, so it reaches outdoor power points that other sets would need an extension to hit. Like the Roccar, it links, up to three sets for a span of about 93m, and Roshin quotes a bulb life over 30,000 hours. Australian reviewers repeatedly describe buying two sets and joining them, and praise the warm, inviting glow that stops short of being overpowering.

The trade-off against our top pick is the weather rating. This set is IP45 rather than IP65, so it is happiest under a patio roof, a pergola or eaves rather than fully exposed to driving rain. For most Australian outdoor areas, which are at least partly covered, that is fine, and you are paying less for it.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The IP45 rating is the main caveat, so if your run sits out in the open with no cover, spend up for the IP65 Roccar. The G40 bulbs are on the smaller side, so read the dimensions if you are picturing big cafe globes. As with every plug-in set here, tighten each bulb before you hang it. Otherwise this is the best-rated set on the page.

The cheapest festoon lights worth buying

Not everyone needs 30m of cable. If you are lighting a balcony, a small deck, a party marquee or just the corner where the table sits, the Roshin 15M is the cheapest way onto this list at $31.99, and it does not feel like a compromise for the space it is built for.

You get 15m of cable carrying 25 ST38 bulbs with a spare, at the same warm 2700K tone as its pricier 31m sibling, so the light quality is identical, there is just less of it. The lead to the plug is 1.8m, the bulbs have built-in hooks, and it links up to three sets for a 45m run if you decide later that one string is not enough. That upgrade path matters: you can start small and cheap, then chain a second set on next summer without replacing anything. Australian reviewers call out how easy it is to hang and how much ambience it adds for the money, which is exactly the job a budget set needs to do.

At 4.4 stars across 80 reviews it is a touch below our top two picks, and it shares their IP45 weather rating, so keep it under cover rather than fully exposed. But for a first festoon purchase, a rental, or a second string to fill a gap, it is hard to spend less and still get a set worth hanging.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Fewer bulbs and a shorter run mean this is a fill-a-corner set, not a light-the-whole-yard set, so be realistic about your space. A couple of reviewers received a string with a dead or loose bulb, resolved by the included spare or a warranty replacement. And the 240V design draws the odd comment from buyers who would prefer low voltage outdoors. For the price, none of that is a dealbreaker.

The best festoon lights when you cannot run a power cord

Plenty of Australian outdoor areas have nowhere to plug in. A back fence, a far corner of the garden, a rental where you cannot add a socket, a balcony with no external power. That is where the solar Quntis Outdoor Lights earn their place, and they are the most-reviewed set on this whole page with 287 ratings behind them.

The panel charges the string during the day and switches the lights on automatically at dusk, off at dawn, so you never touch a switch. On a full charge Quntis quotes up to about 8 hours of run time, and crucially there is a USB-C port so you can top the battery up from a power bank or indoor socket during a run of cloudy weather. The set is a genuine IP65, matching our top plug-in pick for weatherproofing, with shatterproof S14 bulbs at a warm 2700K, four brightness modes and the ability to link two sets together. Australian reviewers describe leaving them up permanently through storms, and repeatedly note the soft, warm glow and the auto on-off convenience.

The honest trade-off with any solar festoon light is brightness and length. At 10m with 10 bulbs this is shorter than the plug-in sets, and reviewers are clear it is ambient lighting for entertaining rather than task lighting you could read by. One Queensland buyer found the bulbs struggled in extreme direct sun, worth weighing if your spot gets brutal afternoon exposure. For freedom from cords, though, nothing else here matches it.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Solar output depends on the panel, so it needs a spot that catches direct sun most of the day to charge properly. If you want to dim it you will need an external dimmer, and it is not the cheapest solar option here. But the USB-C backup solves the classic solar weakness, and the review count gives real confidence.

The best budget solar festoon lights for a balcony

If the Quntis is more than you want to spend on a cord-free set, the Spacelumen 15M Solar comes in at $39.99 and covers a compact courtyard or balcony nicely. It is a solar festoon set built around 18 shatterproof ST38 Edison-style bulbs on 15m of cable, at the same warm 2700K colour as the plug-in Roshins.

The panel is detachable, which makes it easier to position in the sun while the lights hang in shade, and there is a USB-C port for topping up on overcast days, the same clever backup as the Quntis. Spacelumen quotes a 1200mAh panel that charges in about 6 hours of sun for roughly 8 to 10 hours of run time, with a light sensor that handles the dusk-to-dawn switching for you and three lighting modes to set the mood. Bulbs sit about 0.75m apart with a 3.2m lead from the panel to the first globe. Australian reviewers describe a gentle, cosy glow that suits winding down after work, and note the bulbs have handled rain and wind without complaint.

At 4.4 stars across 202 reviews it is well proven, and it undercuts the Quntis by about eleven dollars. The one structural difference to know is that the loop at the end of the string is a mounting hole, not a connector, so unlike our plug-in picks these do not link into a longer run.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

No linking means what you buy is your maximum length, so measure and buy the right size the first time. Like all solar sets it is dimmer than mains and depends on good sun to charge. And one reviewer grumbled about an over-sticky panel label, a two-minute annoyance rather than a fault. For a cheap, cord-free balcony set, it delivers.

The best festoon lights for dimming and timer control

If you want to set the mood without getting up, the Roccar Dimmable is the set to buy. It is the priciest pick on this page at $69.99, but it is the only one that hands you a remote with real control over how the lights behave.

The remote offers four brightness levels, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent, plus four lighting modes and a timer that switches the string off automatically after 6 or 8 hours. That combination is genuinely useful outdoors: full brightness for a party, a soft 50 percent for a quiet dinner, and a timer so the lights are not still burning at 3am. It runs on safe low voltage rather than direct 240V, carries 50 G40 bulbs across 30m spaced about 0.57m apart, and holds a 4.6-star rating over 170 reviews. Australian buyers single out being able to dim and cycle the lights from inside the house through the remote, and the reassuringly tough plastic bulbs that survive being stepped on.

It is weather rated IP44, a shade below the top pick, so like the value Roshins it prefers a covered spot to a fully exposed one. And because the dimming electronics live in the controller, this set cannot be linked to others to extend the run. What you buy is a self-contained 30m string you control by remote.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

No linking and the highest price of our picks are the two things to weigh, so this is for people who value control over chaining sets. The remote needs its own AAA batteries, not always included, and a few buyers found the bulbs smaller than pictured. For a fixed run you want to dim and time, it is the clear choice.

What to look for when buying festoon lights in Australia

Answer these questions before you spend, and you will avoid the two most common regrets: buying a set that is too short, and buying one that dies after one summer.

Solar or plug-in? Plug-in sets are brighter, more consistent and link together for long runs, but they need an outdoor power point. Solar sets go anywhere and cost nothing to run, but they are dimmer, shorter and depend on your panel catching real sun. If you have a socket, plug in. If you do not, go solar and accept it is ambient rather than bright light.

How long a run do you actually need? Measure the path the cable will take, not the straight-line distance, because festoon lights swag and zig-zag. A pergola perimeter or a fence line adds up fast. Our picks span 10m to 31m, and the plug-in sets link, so if in doubt buy one that links and add a second set later rather than buying one long set you cannot extend.

What does the IP rating mean? The number after IP tells you how weatherproof the set is. IP65 (our Roccar top pick and the Quntis) means fully protected against rain and exposed positions. IP44 and IP45 (the Roshins and the dimmable Roccar) are fine under a pergola, patio roof or eaves but happier not fully exposed to driving rain. Match the rating to how covered your spot is.

Bulb type and colour. G40 bulbs are the round golf-ball shape; S14 and ST38 are the longer Edison teardrop. It is mostly looks. Colour temperature matters more: 2200K to 2700K is the warm, golden glow almost everyone wants outdoors, and every set here sits in that range.

Shatterproof bulbs and hooks. Plastic shatterproof bulbs survive being dropped, stepped on and blown against a wall, which matters far more outdoors. Built-in hooks on each holder, which most of our picks have, turn hanging from a fiddly job into a quick one.

Caring for festoon lights so they last more than one summer

Festoon lights are low maintenance, but a few habits stretch their life well past a single season. Before you hang any set, plug it in and test every bulb, then tighten each one in its socket. The single most common review complaint across every brand is a bulb that looked dead but had simply worked loose in transit, and thirty seconds of tightening prevents it.

When you hang them, take the weight on the cable, not the bulbs. Run the string along a catenary wire or cable-tie it to a tensioned line rather than letting the electrical cable carry the strain over a long span, which stops it stretching and the sockets pulling. Leave a little slack so wind can move the string without tugging at the connections.

Clean the bulbs occasionally. Dust, spider webs and salt haze dull the output, and a wipe with a damp cloth (lights off and cool) brings the sparkle back. For solar sets, keep the panel clean and angled at the sun, because a grimy or shaded panel is the usual reason a solar string stops lasting the night. Over a wet winter, or if a set is only IP44 or IP45 and your spot is exposed, it is worth taking it down or unplugging it during the worst weather. And for any 240V set strung near water, run it through a plug-in RCD. Keep the spare bulbs somewhere you will find them next year.

You will also want these to finish the job

A string of lights is the start. These extras make the difference between lights that dangle awkwardly and a run that looks like it was installed on purpose, and each link below is tagged to Amazon Australia.

• An outdoor-rated extension cord to reach a distant power point safely, if your set's lead does not quite stretch.
• A plug-in outdoor timer so a mains set switches itself on at dusk and off overnight, the way the solar sets already do.
• A plug-in LED dimmer to add brightness control to any of the non-dimmable plug-in sets above.
• A catenary wire kit to carry the weight of a long run so the electrical cable is not doing the work.
• Stainless S-hooks and cable clips for a clean, evenly spaced line along a fence, wall or beam.
• A weatherproof power point cover to keep the outdoor socket and plug dry through a storm.
• Spare G40 or S14 bulbs in the matching shape, so a blown globe next summer is a two-minute fix.

The competition and what we left off

A few categories of light kept coming up that we deliberately did not include here. Fine-wire fairy lights and battery-operated micro-strings are lovely for wrapping a tree or a table, but they are a different product to festoon lights and throw far less usable glow, so they belong in their own guide. Solar spike and pathway lights, and solar spotlights, are also a separate job entirely: they light the ground and garden beds, not the space above your table, and we cover those under garden lighting.

Among actual festoon sets, we passed over listings that were clearly reseller-inflated in price, sets with only a handful of reviews where the rating could swing on a single buyer, and a couple of very long commercial-grade runs that push well past this category's budget. Specialist Australian lighting stores sell heavy-duty rubber-cable commercial kits that are excellent if you want a permanent, professionally installed run and have the budget for it. For the majority of first-home buyers who want a great-looking backyard this weekend for well under $100, the six sets above earn their place.

Festoon lights: your questions answered

Are solar or plug-in festoon lights better for an Australian backyard?

It depends on one thing: whether you can reach an outdoor power point. Plug-in sets like the Roccar 30M are brighter, more consistent night to night, and link together for long runs, which makes them the better choice if you have a socket. Solar sets like the Quntis go anywhere with no cabling and cost nothing to run, but they are dimmer and shorter and rely on the panel catching real sun. The best solar sets now include a USB-C backup so you can top them up on cloudy stretches, which closes much of the gap.

Do festoon lights need an electrician to install?

No. Every set in this guide is plug-and-play: the mains sets have a standard Australian plug that goes into any outdoor power point, and the solar sets need no wiring at all. You only need an electrician if you want a brand new outdoor socket installed, or a permanent hard-wired run. For a normal hang-it-yourself festoon string, it is a job you can do with hooks, cable ties and an afternoon.

What does the IP rating on festoon lights actually mean?

IP is the weatherproofing rating. The higher the second number, the better it resists water. IP65, on our Roccar top pick and the Quntis solar set, means fully protected against rain and suited to exposed positions. IP44 and IP45, on the Roshin sets and the dimmable Roccar, are fine under a pergola, patio roof or eaves but are happier not fully exposed to driving rain. Match the rating to how covered your spot is: open sky needs IP65, a covered patio is fine with IP44 or IP45.

How many festoon lights do I need for my space?

Measure the actual path the cable will follow, not the straight-line distance, because festoon lights swag between fixing points and that adds length quickly. As a rough guide, a small balcony or one corner is happy with a 10m to 15m set like the Roshin 15M or the solar options; a typical pergola or deck perimeter wants 30m like the Roccar. If you are unsure, buy a plug-in set that links to others, so you can add a second run later rather than being stuck with one that is too short.

Can you leave festoon lights outside all year in Australia?

The higher-rated sets are built for it. An IP65 set like the Roccar 30M or the Quntis solar string is designed to stay up through sun, rain and wind year-round. Lower-rated IP44 and IP45 sets can also live outdoors under cover, but in an exposed spot through a wet winter it is worth taking them down or unplugging them during the worst weather to extend their life. Keeping bulbs and, for solar sets, the panel clean makes the biggest difference to longevity.

Set the whole backyard up, not just the lights

Festoon lights are one piece of a backyard that works after dark. If you are building the space out, these NestPath guides pair naturally with your new string of lights.

• Best solar garden lights in Australia for lighting paths and beds at ground level.
• Best outdoor furniture in Australia to give people somewhere to sit under the glow.
• Best fire pits in Australia for warmth and a centrepiece on cooler nights.
• Best BBQs in Australia because the lights are for entertaining, and so is dinner.
• Best outdoor heaters in Australia to stretch the season into winter.
• Best shade sails in Australia to make the same space usable by day.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au