Decide the venue fallback before you book
Before confirming an outdoor event, identify an indoor fallback and ask the venue whether it is available, whether it needs a separate booking, and what floor area, ceiling height, power and access it provides. A roofed outdoor space is not automatically an appropriate place to continue the programme during a thunderstorm.
If the venue has no suitable fallback, agree beforehand how a pause, relocation or cancellation decision will be made. Confirm any resulting commercial terms in writing.
Lightning safety
MSS warns that lightning can occur even without rain. Its public guidance is to shelter in a building or car rather than under tall trees or a small structure such as a tent, and to wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activities. That waiting period is not equipment clearance: the venue and equipment operator must also confirm whether restarting is appropriate.
Source: Meteorological Service Singapore, lightning safety guidance.
You can monitor recent lightning activity on the MSS lightning information page. The displayed data covers the most recent 30 minutes, updates every 5 minutes and may have a few minutes of delay or missed strokes. Forecast accuracy is limited. The absence of displayed lightning strikes is not an all-clear for outdoor activities; use it alongside the 30-minute rule above and the venue's own guidance.
Check selected items for wet weather suitability
Not every rental item can operate in the rain, move under a shelter or fit inside a backup venue. When you request a quotation, ask which of your selected items can continue under light rain, which must stop, and which could work in the backup space if one is available. Confirm what access, floor area, ceiling height and power the backup space provides, and whether the selected items fit those constraints.
Categories such as carnival game booths, claw machines and arcade games, fringe activities and carnival food stations include items of different sizes and requirements. A smaller indoor programme may need a different item mix, different staffing and a separate quotation. Do not assume that an item listed in the outdoor programme will work indoors without confirming its specific requirements.
Agree who can pause and restart the event
Before the event, confirm in writing who has the authority to pause outdoor activities when weather arrives and who decides when to resume. This normally involves the venue contact, the event organiser and the equipment operator. Agree how the decision will be communicated on the day and who each person contacts.
Ask for the venue's weather policy or lightning protocol before booking. Confirm how its alerts change the programme and who has authority to stop and restart each selected activity.
Communicate with guests
Include a wet weather note in your event invitation or pre-event message. Tell guests where the covered meeting point is, what time they should arrive and how they will be updated if the programme changes. On the day, nominate one person to send updates and keep that channel consistent.
If guests include people with mobility or accessibility needs, confirm that the backup venue and the route between locations are accessible. See the inclusive family day planning guide for more on access and sensory considerations.
Prepare a revised programme
Draft a shorter or reduced indoor programme before the event rather than improvising on the day. Decide which activities continue, which are dropped and what order they run in. If the weather clears and you plan to resume outdoors, allow time for the equipment team to check and restart safely.
For a corporate family day with several stations, prepare an alternative timetable with breaks and transitions. Confirm any changed activity windows with the team; do not assume lost time can be made up by shortening every slot. Use the carnival station rotation planner to explore the revised programme.
Confirm weather terms in your quotation
Ask the rental vendor before you book: what happens if rain or lightning stops the event? Check whether the quotation includes any of the following, and get the answers in writing.
- Can the booking be rescheduled to another date?
- Is there a charge for same-day cancellation or a reduced programme?
- If the event pauses and later resumes, does the rental period extend or does the original end time apply?
- If the event moves indoors, does the quotation cover the relocation or is there an additional charge?
- Who is responsible for protecting equipment from rain during a pause?
Use the event enquiry builder to prepare your event details, including the venue, backup plan and selected items, before contacting the team.
Responsibilities checklist
| Responsibility | Who confirms | When |
|---|---|---|
| Backup venue booked and accessible | Organiser / venue | Before booking |
| Selected items checked for indoor suitability | Rental vendor | At quotation |
| Weather pause/restart authority agreed | Organiser, venue and vendor | Before the event |
| Guest communication plan and meeting point | Organiser | Before the event |
| Revised indoor programme drafted | Organiser | Before the event |
| Cancellation/reschedule terms in writing | Vendor | At quotation |
| Lightning monitoring and 30-minute wait | Organiser and venue | On the day |
| Equipment check before resuming | Vendor / operator | On the day |
Frequently asked questions
Do not treat event tentage or a gazebo as lightning shelter. MSS advises sheltering in a building or car, rather than a small structure such as a tent. Follow the venue's weather instructions and MSS guidance; equipment restart needs a separate confirmation.
An indoor alternative needs venue permission, sufficient space and headroom, suitable power and clear access. Discuss the selected game booths, crafts, food stations or other items with the supplier before booking. A category listing does not establish that an item fits or is suitable for the backup space; confirm the actual items, staffing and arrangements.
Ask what applies to your actual booking: whether a weather interruption allows rescheduling, what charges or changes apply, whether the original end time remains, and how any relocation is handled. Get the answers in the confirmed quotation. This guide does not establish BouncePark's cancellation or refund policy.
Related guides
For venue delivery and setup details, see preparing your venue for delivery and setup.
For choosing activities by audience at a corporate event, see planning a corporate family day.
For park-specific booking and equipment permission, see birthday party in a Singapore park.