The best way to light an alfresco area is to layer warm light. Hang an IP65 festoon canopy overhead with 2200K or 2000K globes, and add a Dulora dimmer so one setup suits both cooking and dining. Most Dulora globes are dimmable, but not all, so choose a dimmable globe with the right base. Then add low wall and garden light at the edges. Near pools, use a 24V extra-low voltage string.
In summer, most of the good stuff happens after dark. Dinner runs late, someone opens another bottle, and the kids are still in the pool at eight o'clock. Then you flick on the back light and the whole place looks like a loading dock.
Good alfresco lighting fixes that, and it doesn't take much. Below are the questions people ask us most about lighting a deck, pergola or courtyard, each with a straight recommendation at the end.
What is the best lighting for an alfresco area?
Warm, layered light. A single overhead source lights the table and leaves everything else in shadow. Your eyes adjust to that bright patch, and the garden beyond it simply disappears.
So think in two levels. The first is a canopy overhead, usually festoon lights, giving the whole area a soft general glow. The second is lower light around the edges: wall lights by the doors, a lamp on a side table, a few plants lit up in the garden. Together they make the space feel bigger and calmer than either could manage alone.
Festoons suit most alfrescos across Australia and New Zealand because they're so flexible. They follow beams, cross open pergolas and frame courtyards that have no roof to mount anything on. You can browse the full range in our festoon lighting collection.
Our recommendation: start with a warm festoon canopy, and treat everything else as the second layer.
Do outdoor lights need to be waterproof?
Yes, but "waterproof" is a loose word. What you really want to check is the IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection, and it tells you how well a product keeps out dust and water.
IP65 means a product is dust tight and protected against water jets. That covers rain, sprinklers and the hose when you wash down the deck.
Even a covered alfresco cops wind-driven rain and humidity, and near the coast in Australia or New Zealand you can add salt air to the list. If a festoon string is staying up all year, IP65 is the rating to look for. Our guide to IP ratings for festoon lights explains the difference between IP44 and IP65.
The same logic applies to bulbs. A bulb is only as protected as the fitting it sits in, so check the fitting suits its location before you screw anything in.
Our recommendation: choose IP65 for any festoon string that will live outside permanently.
Which festoon string should I choose?
It comes down to three things: the power you have, who uses the space, and whether you want colour. Here's how our four outdoor festoon lines compare. For a fuller product-by-product comparison, see our guide to the best outdoor festoon lights in Australia.
| Product | Power | Weather rating | Dimming | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro 8m Outdoor Festoon Lights | Mains | IP65 | Dimmable E27 globes plus a Dulora dimmer | A permanent canopy over a pergola or deck |
| Pro-Series 24V Safe-Touch Festoon | Mains stepped down to 24V DC | IP65 string, IP67 driver | A low-voltage dimmer, kept indoors or under cover | Pools, play spaces and busy areas |
| Smart RGBW Festoon String Light | 12V from the included driver | IP65 | Built in, through the app or voice | Warm white for dinner, colour for parties |
| Solar String Fairy Light, 15 Bulb Outdoor LED Warm White | Integrated solar panel | IP65 | Included remote | Balconies, gardens, no power point nearby |
The Pro 8m is the one we'd put up and leave. It's a permanent, weatherproof string system, wired with SAA-certified 2x1.5mm² UV-stabilised rubber cable and individually sealed E27 sockets. It's also connectable, so you can join runs to cover a larger space.
You can buy it as a string only and choose your own bulbs from our festoon light bulbs. Pick the colour temperature you want and make sure each bulb has an E27 base. Some kit variants may not always be available, so check the product page for current options.
The Solar String Fairy Light is built for spots with no power point nearby. It's a 15-metre run with 15 globes in warm white. It charges from its integrated solar panel and dims from the included remote. No wiring, and no extension lead snaking across the lawn.
The 24V and Smart RGBW strings get their own sections further down.
Our recommendation: for a permanent canopy, choose the Pro 8m.
How do you hang festoon lights over an alfresco?
Start with the anchor points, and work them out before you buy anything. The pattern you can hang depends on what you've got to attach to: beams, posts, fascia boards or a handy tree.
Three patterns that work well:
- Straight runs along beams or the roof edge suit long, narrow alfrescos.
- Zigzags between two sides build a full canopy over a dining table.
- A perimeter run frames a courtyard and keeps the sky open above.
Over longer open spans, a tensioned support wire takes the strain off the festoon cable and stops it sagging in the wind. Leave a gentle drape rather than pulling the string tight. You'll find support wire, hooks and poles in our festoon accessories. Plan where the plug or driver will sit before you fix the first hook, too. Otherwise the last bulb can end up a metre short of the power point.
Our definitive guide to hanging festoon lights outdoors covers anchors, tensioning and spacing step by step.
Our recommendation: for a dining area under a pergola, hang a zigzag on a tensioned support wire.
What colour temperature is best for outdoor lighting?
Warm, if you're entertaining. Cool white looks flat and harsh outdoors at night. Warmer tones are kinder to faces, food, timber and stone.
If you're choosing bulbs for a string like the Pro 8m, there are two good options:
- 2200K extra warm gives a candlelit, golden mood. Browse our Extra Warm 2200K LED bulbs.
- 2000K ultra warm goes deeper, to an amber glow that sits close to firelight. See our Ultra Warm 2000K LED bulbs.
2200K sits comfortably in most spaces. 2000K is the more dramatic of the two, with that firelit feel.
Whichever you pick, buy all the bulbs for a string from the same range. Along a long run of globes, even a small mismatch stands out. The same goes for the wider space: a wall light at a different temperature to the festoon above it makes the whole setup look unfinished.
Base type matters as well. The Pro 8m takes E27 bulbs, but other fittings around the house may use B22, so confirm the base on each one before you order.
There's more on this in why you should replace white outdoor bulbs with warm LED lighting.
Our recommendation: choose 2200K for your festoon bulbs.
How bright should alfresco lighting be?
Bright enough to cook by, soft enough to sit under. No single fixed level does both, which is why dimming matters more than raw brightness.
At six o'clock you want light on the barbecue and the bench. By nine, people are talking, not reading, and the light should drop with them. A dimmer lets one setup carry the whole evening.
Most Dulora globes are dimmable. For a mains string like the Pro 8m, choose a dimmable E27 globe and add a Dulora dimmer. The DimEzy Smart Plug-In Dimmer plugs into your outdoor power point, with no wiring. You then set the brightness from the Smart Life app, Alexa, Google or the remote in the box.
For a lamp inside, the Rotary Plug-In Dimmer with On/Off Switch does the same job with a simple dial on a 2-metre lead. You'll find both in our dimmers collection, and a wider range of shapes and bases among our dimmable LED bulbs.
The other strings handle dimming their own way. The 24V Safe-Touch Festoon needs a low-voltage dimmer, kept indoors or under cover. The Smart RGBW dims through its app or by voice, and the solar string dims from its remote.
If you're unsure which dimmer works with LED, our guide to choosing the right dimmer switch explains compatibility.
Our recommendation: add the DimEzy Smart Plug-In Dimmer to your festoon run.
Are festoon lights safe near a pool?
Extra-low voltage is the safer choice near water. The Pro-Series 24V Safe-Touch Festoon steps mains voltage down to a touch-safe 24V DC, so the string itself carries only extra-low voltage. The string is rated IP65, the driver IP67, and the sockets sit at 50-centimetre intervals.
A low-voltage string doesn't change the basics, though. Keep the driver well clear of the water, and have a licensed electrician install any hardwired fittings or new outdoor circuits. And remember that IP65 is a weather rating. Nothing on a festoon string is designed to go in the pool.
For more on spacing and placement, read what to keep in mind when installing string lights near or over your swimming pool.
Our recommendation: around a pool or a kids' play area, choose the 24V Safe-Touch Festoon.
Can I use coloured lights for parties?
Yes, and you don't need a second set of lights to do it. The Smart RGBW Festoon String Light sits on warm white for ordinary weeknights and switches to colour when you want it.
It's rated IP65 and runs on a low-voltage 12V supply from the included driver. It's also fully dimmable, and you control it through the Smart Life app or with Alexa or Google Assistant. Colour for a birthday or Christmas lunch, then back to warm white once everyone's gone home.
The trick is restraint. Colour looks great for a few hours. Leave it on every night and the alfresco starts to feel like a bar.
Our recommendation: if your alfresco hosts birthdays, Christmas and New Year's Eve, choose the Smart RGBW.
What other lighting ideas work around an alfresco?
Light the edges, not just the middle. A little low light around the outside stops the festoon canopy feeling like a spotlight on the table.
Some places to start:
- Wall lights beside the back door and along the house give you light for coming and going. Choose an outdoor-rated wall light, and check each product's IP rating before you use it outdoors.
- Garden lighting on a tree or a garden bed past the alfresco pulls your eye outwards and makes the space feel larger. Our garden LED lights guide has plenty of ideas.
- A table lamp or lantern on a side table adds a pocket of light at sitting height.
For replacement globes, our outdoor LED bulbs collection is a good place to start.
Keep all of these at the same warm colour temperature as your festoons, and the space will look planned rather than pieced together.
Our recommendation: add one lit feature in the garden beyond the alfresco. It makes the biggest difference to how big the space feels.
FAQ
Can I leave festoon lights up all year?
Yes, if the string is built for it. Choose an IP65 string with heavy rubber cable and sealed sockets, such as the Pro 8m Outdoor Festoon Lights.
What does IP65 mean?
IP65 means a product is dust tight and protected against water jets. It suits exposed outdoor spaces, but it doesn't mean the product can go underwater.
Is warm white or cool white better outside?
Warm white is better for dining and relaxing. 2200K gives a golden, candlelit feel, and 2000K a deeper amber glow.
Can I dim festoon lights?
Yes. Most Dulora globes are dimmable, but not all, so choose a dimmable globe with the right base and add a Dulora dimmer. For a mains string like the Pro 8m, the DimEzy Smart Plug-In Dimmer plugs into your outdoor power point with no new wiring. The 24V Safe-Touch Festoon needs a low-voltage dimmer, kept indoors or under cover.
Are festoon lights safe near a pool?
Extra-low voltage is the safer choice near water. The Pro-Series 24V Safe-Touch Festoon steps mains voltage down to a touch-safe 24V DC, with an IP65 string and an IP67 driver. Keep the driver well clear of the water, and have a licensed electrician install any hardwired fittings or new outdoor circuits.
Should I choose E27 or B22 bulbs?
Match the base to the fitting. The Pro 8m festoon takes E27 bulbs. Other fittings around your home may use B22, so check each one before you order.
What can I use if there's no power point outside?
The Solar String Fairy Light is the one for that job. It gives you a 15-metre, 15-globe warm white run powered by an integrated solar panel, and it dims from the included remote.