How Many Eclipse Glasses for an Event? 2028 Guide

The short version. Count everyone on site: guests, plus staff and volunteers. Add about 10% for spares. That is your order. Every person needs their own certified pair, worn for the whole eclipse, totality included. If you don't know your crowd yet, order the number you are sure of now and top up as tickets sell.

What's the formula for event eclipse glasses?

Diagram: how many eclipse glasses an event needs: expected guests, plus staff and volunteers, plus about 10% spares; for example 2,000 guests and 80 staff need 2,288 pairs — One certified pair per person, worn for the whole eclipse, plus spares. Place the base order early and top up. Aura Sight ordering guide. Diagram: Aura Sight.

The formula is simple: guests, plus staff and volunteers, plus about 10% spare. Round up, never down. It is the same rule we give schools, where we suggest one pair per student and staff member plus about 10% spare.

Two things make the count strict. First, glasses can't be shared. Everyone wears their own pair for the whole eclipse, from the first bite out of the Sun to the last, with totality included. In Sydney the eclipse runs from 12:41pm to 3:15pm AEST, so your guests wear their glasses for well over two hours. Times for other towns are in our 2028 eclipse guide.

Second, everyone counts. Children need their own pair: our glasses are one size and fit adults and children from about age five. Staff on the gate, the bar and the stage are outdoors during the eclipse too, so they need glasses as much as the guests do.

How many pairs for 200, 2,000 or 10,000 people?

Here is the formula applied to three typical events on Saturday 22 July 2028. Spares are 10% of guests plus crew, rounded up.

Event	Guests	Staff and volunteers	Spares (about 10%)	Order
Club viewing, 200 members	200	10	21 (10% of 210)	231 pairs
Ticketed event, 2,000 tickets	2,000	80	208 (10% of 2,080)	2,288 pairs
Free public event, 10,000 expected	10,000	300	1,030 (10% of 10,300)	11,330 pairs

The club. 231 pairs is under our online limit of 999, so a club can order standard glasses online and have them shipped by 31 May 2028.

The ticketed event. You know your number from ticket sales, so the sum is firm. If the glasses go in ticket packs, the 208 spares cover the gate, the info tent and damaged pairs. For a branded run, which packs in cartons of 100, rounding up to 2,300 makes sense.

The free event. Nobody can count a free crowd in advance, so the 10,000 is an estimate. Treat 11,330 as your high case, and see the next section for how to stage it.

What if you don't know your attendance yet?

Most event numbers are not known a year out. Crowds depend on ticket sales, the weather forecast and how many people travel into the path. A ticketed event firms up as sales come in. A free event may never have a firm number. Either way, plan in stages rather than guessing once.

Work out a low and a high case. Run the formula on both. We quote both ends, so you know the cost before you commit.
Place a base order in 2027 for the number you are sure of: members, pre-sold tickets, staff and volunteers.
Top up by May 2028 as tickets sell or your estimate firms up. Repeat orders come from the same certified batches, so every pair in the crowd carries the same certification.

Online orders take up to 999 pairs and ship from NSW by 31 May 2028. For 1,000 pairs or more, ask us for a quote through eclipse glasses for events or wholesale. We reply within one business day.

Staging matters because bulk stock can't come back. Wholesale orders are supplied to order, with no change-of-mind returns, and unsold stock can't be returned after the eclipse. Order what you are sure of, then add to it.

Should families get a family kit?

Families arrive in groups, so a family ticket is an easy place to bundle glasses. Our family eclipse kit holds four certified pairs and a printed viewing guide, A$19.25 in our shop. It still counts as four people in your formula: one pair each, no sharing between parents and children. Single pairs are A$5.45, with delivery A$9.95 or free over A$150.

How many spares do you really need?

About 10% is our rule of thumb. It covers the things that go wrong on the day:

Damaged pairs. A pair that is scratched, creased, torn or punctured goes in the bin. Check every pair before use.
Lost pairs. Glasses blow away, get sat on or are left in the car.
Guests who arrive without glasses. Plenty of people will forget theirs, even when glasses were in the ticket pack.
Walk-ups. At a free event, people join the crowd once they hear it is happening.

Keep spares in one place, such as a carton at the gate and a box at the info tent, and announce where they are. If you expect a lot of walk-ups, you can also sell glasses on site: we supply counter display units of 50 pairs for a merch tent.

How should you hand the glasses out?

In ticket packs or welcome bags. Nobody arrives without a pair, and it takes pressure off the gate. Pack the glasses flat, away from anything sharp, so the filters don't crease or scratch.
At the gate. Hand a pair to every person on entry, with the printed safe-viewing card or the rules on the rear panel.
For children. Ask adults to fit glasses on children in the shade, before the eclipse starts. The glasses should cover both eyes, and an adult stays close by for the whole eclipse.
For glasses wearers. Prescription glasses go on first, eclipse glasses over the top.

Repeat one message from the gates opening to the end: glasses on for the whole eclipse, and never with binoculars, a telescope, a camera or a phone. Our eclipse viewing event checklist covers the rest of the day's planning.

Why not order the bare minimum?

Because when an eclipse gets close, glasses run out. Before the 2017 US eclipse, Lowe's said its stock sold out within four hours, and Walmart said it had sold out weeks earlier. An AP report described a library in Boise running out in about 15 minutes. In 2024, the American Astronomical Society warned weeks ahead that sellers would run out, and US libraries reported running out and fielding hundreds of calls. In the UK this year, the Royal Observatory Greenwich sold about 15,000 pairs in a month, then sold out before the 12 August 2026 eclipse.

Closer to home, the Exmouth Chamber of Commerce bought just over 20,000 pairs for the 2023 eclipse, which drew about 20,000 visitors. That is sizing to the crowd, not the minimum. A guest with no glasses can't safely watch the eclipse, and late, rushed buying is when counterfeits slip in. Our guide on where to buy safe eclipse glasses covers what to check. Venues in towns just outside the path need the same count: a partial eclipse needs glasses for all of it.

Do you want your brand on the glasses?

If the event has a brand or sponsors, the glasses can carry it. Custom-branded eclipse glasses start at 500 units and pack in cartons of 100. You sign off a digital proof, and orders over 1,000 get a printed sample before the full run. Allow 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval, so lock the branded run early against the number you are sure of, then top up with standard prints from stock. The rear panel can carry a sponsor logo, the safety rules or a QR code to your event page. More ideas are in our guide to custom-printed eclipse glasses for business, and tour operators can see eclipse planning for tourism operators.

What's in the compliance pack for your safety officer?

Councils, venues and insurers will ask what the glasses are certified to. Every order ships with a certification pack for your event file:

The filter is tested to ISO 12312-2:2015 by ICS Laboratories, an A2LA-accredited laboratory.
The glasses are made by Rainbow Symphony, which is on the American Astronomical Society list of reputable vendors.
CE certification as personal protective equipment under EU Regulation 2016/425, Notified Body 2834, valid to May 2031.
A QR code on every pair that links to its batch certificate.
The full test report and CE certificate, on request.

See how our glasses are certified for the detail, and the eclipse safety plan for schools if your event involves school groups.

Send your low and high numbers, the venue or town, and when you need the glasses. We reply within one business day with a quote for both ends and a supply plan to eclipse day.

Get a quote for your event

FAQ

How many eclipse glasses do we need per person?

One pair each. Glasses can't be shared, because everyone wears their own pair for the whole eclipse, totality included.

How many spare eclipse glasses should an event order?

About 10% on top of guests plus staff and volunteers. That covers damaged and lost pairs, guests who forget theirs and walk-ups.

Do staff and volunteers need their own eclipse glasses?

Yes. Anyone outdoors during the eclipse needs a certified pair, so count gate staff, bar staff, stage crew and volunteers in your order.

Can we order online or do we need a quote?

Online orders take up to 999 pairs and ship from NSW by 31 May 2028. For 1,000 pairs or more, or for branded glasses, ask for a quote. We reply within one business day.

Can we order in stages as tickets sell?

Yes. Place a base order in 2027 for the number you are sure of, then top up by May 2028. Repeat orders come from the same certified batches.

Can we return unused glasses after the event?

No. Wholesale orders are supplied to order with no change-of-mind returns, and unsold stock can't be returned after the eclipse. That is why staged ordering works best.

What is the minimum for branded event glasses?

500 units, packed in cartons of 100. Allow 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval, and orders over 1,000 get a printed sample before the full run.

Do young children need their own pair?

Yes. Our glasses are one size and fit adults and children from about age five. Adults should fit them on children and stay close by for the whole eclipse.