How much space is needed for Dodgems hire?
The space needed for Dodgems hire can vary depending on the size of the ride and the number of cars available. We have three different Dodgems for hire, including:
- Traditional Dodgems, which are 40ft x 40ft or 60ft x 40ft, and up to 75ft x 50ft, and are 15ft in height,
- Modern Dodgems, which are 75ft x 50ft and 15ft in height,
- Bumper Cars, which are 30ft x 30ft but shorter than a standing adult.
Please note that all of these dodgems tracks will require drive-in access to set them up. Dodgem hire is typically only possible in the largest indoor venues, or on outdoor spaces such as fields and parks.
If you need any extra information or advice, please feel free to contact us! We've been supplying dodgems hire for may years, and we are one of the most experienced and professional fairground ride rental companies around. We've worked at events ranging from family fun days to exhibitions and trade shows.
To speak with our team about our dodgems for hire, just use the below techniques.
Dodgem Space Needs to Cover the Complete Attraction
When measuring a venue for Dodgems, the important figure is not simply the area in which the cars move. A complete Dodgem installation includes the arena itself, its surrounding structure, passenger access, the loading area and the practical space needed to install and operate the attraction.
We offer options including Traditional Dodgems and Modern Dodgems, and the precise dimensions should always be confirmed for the particular equipment being considered rather than assuming every Dodgem track has the same footprint.
Start by Measuring a Clear Rectangular Area
Dodgems differ from many individual fairground rides because they use a substantial defined floor area. That makes a genuinely clear section of the venue particularly important.
When assessing a potential position, measure the usable space between permanent obstacles rather than the total size of the field, car park or event hall. Trees, columns, fixed furniture, kerbs, buildings and other event equipment can all reduce the area that is actually available.
If several attractions are being planned together, How to Place Funfair Rides Around the Site provides wider advice on dividing the venue between rides, games, catering and public routes.
The Track Is Only One Part of the Footprint
The visible driving floor naturally takes up most of the space, but organisers should avoid designing the rest of the event right up against its edge. The complete attraction needs sufficient room for its structure and safe operation.
This makes Dodgem planning different from estimating space for a collection of smaller fairground side stalls and games or garden games, which can often be distributed around irregular spaces.
Allow Space for People Waiting to Ride
Dodgems are often among the busier attractions at a funfair, particularly at mixed-age events. A track that physically fits into a location may still be poorly positioned if there is nowhere sensible for the queue to form.
The waiting area should be considered at the same time as the ride itself. How to Manage Queues at Funfairs explains how queue positioning can affect pedestrian movement and nearby attractions.
Where appropriate, crowd barrier fences can help define the waiting line and separate it from other parts of the site. More information is available in How to Use Crowd Barrier Fencing at Events.
Think About Where Riders Enter and Leave
People waiting to board and people leaving the attraction should be able to move without creating unnecessary congestion. If both flows empty directly into a busy walkway, catering queue or neighbouring ride entrance, a workable Dodgem footprint can become an awkward event layout.
When marking the attraction on a site plan, include the intended boarding area and the routes passengers will use afterwards rather than plotting only the dimensions of the track.
Dodgems Also Attract Spectators
Not everybody standing beside the attraction is waiting to ride. Friends, parents and family members frequently watch from outside the arena, which can create an informal spectator zone around popular Dodgems.
That additional footfall is worth considering, particularly at school events, council and local authority events, festivals and large family fun days.
Where space permits, nearby picnic benches or other seating can give waiting visitors somewhere to stand or sit without concentrating everybody beside the loading point.
Traditional and Modern Dodgems May Suit Different Event Styles
The choice between Traditional Dodgems and Modern Dodgems may be influenced by more than appearance. Venue, event theme, available space and the wider attraction mix can all help determine which option is appropriate.
For events built around heritage styling, traditional and vintage fairground rides and attractions may complement classic Dodgems. A contemporary festival or corporate event may instead combine Dodgems with other modern fairground rides.
Vehicle Access Can Decide Whether the Space Is Usable
A large enough operating area does not automatically make a venue suitable. The equipment still has to reach that area before it can be installed.
Organisers should consider gates, narrow roads, turning areas, tight corners and anything else between the site entrance and the intended Dodgem position. The setup location needs to be accessible to the vehicles and equipment required for installation.
How Are Funfair Rides Transported? explains more about getting mobile amusement attractions to event sites.
Installation Needs Its Own Working Space
A completed Dodgem arena may look self-contained, but construction takes place before the public arrives. Sufficient working access is therefore needed while the attraction is assembled and prepared.
This is especially relevant at events where marquees, staging, catering units and several other suppliers are all arriving during the same build period. Installation schedules should be coordinated so another contractor does not obstruct the route required for the Dodgems.
Related guidance can be found in How to Set Up and Tear Down Funfair Rides and How to Assemble and Dismantle Funfair Rides.
Check the Surface Beneath the Proposed Track
The dimensions may be right while the chosen location is still unsuitable for other reasons. Surface type, levels and ground conditions can all influence whether a position is practical.
An organiser considering a grass event site should therefore provide accurate information about the ground rather than assuming that a large open lawn will automatically work in the same way as a hard-standing venue.
Changing weather also matters at outdoor events. How to Prepare Funfairs for Adverse Weather and Rainy Weather FAQs contain further planning information.
Indoor Dodgem Hire Needs Building Measurements Too
If Dodgems are being considered for an indoor venue, organisers need to assess more than the floor area. Doors, loading access, internal obstructions and the route through the building can all determine whether equipment can reach the intended space.
Accurate venue drawings and measurements can therefore be particularly valuable for unusual indoor installations.
Power Requirements Form Part of the Layout
Dodgems require suitable power arrangements, so the attraction should not be positioned independently of the site's technical plan. Power equipment and associated infrastructure need to be considered alongside passenger routes and other attractions.
Our How Are Funfair Rides Powered? guide explains the principles behind fairground power, while Fairground Electrical Safety Regulations provides related information about electrical safety.
Keep the Dodgems Away from Conflicting Queues
A large ride beside another large ride can produce two substantial queues competing for the same space. The issue is not necessarily the distance between the attractions themselves, but what happens when both become busy.
Spacing major attractions with smaller activities between them can help spread visitor demand around the venue. carnival games, prize games and small funfair rides can all form part of a more varied layout.
Catering Needs Its Own Queue Space
Placing food immediately beside the Dodgems can look convenient on a plan, but both attractions may create groups of stationary visitors. The combined effect can interfere with walkways if adequate room has not been allowed.
If the event also includes event catering solutions, think about where customers will order, wait and eat rather than treating the catering unit itself as the complete footprint.
Leave Important Pedestrian Routes Open
Because a Dodgem track occupies a large continuous area, its position can substantially influence how visitors move from one side of the site to another. Avoid creating a layout where guests have to squeeze through narrow gaps simply because the track cuts across the most natural pedestrian route.
How to Ensure the Safety of Your Guests at Your Funfair looks more broadly at designing an event around visitor movement, supervision and welfare.
Emergency Access Should Not Depend on Moving the Queue
Routes that may be required during an incident should remain practical even when the Dodgems are busy. Organisers should therefore consider the attraction, its queue and spectators when reviewing emergency access.
Our How to Plan for Emergencies - Funfair Crisis Management guide covers advance preparation, while What to Do in a Funfair Emergency focuses on what happens once an incident is underway.
Plan the Dodgems Alongside the Rest of the Funfair
Dodgems are often a substantial component of a larger event rather than a standalone attraction. Once their position has been established, organisers can use the remaining site around them for complementary rides, stalls and activities.
They may sit alongside Ferris wheels, carousels, Helter Skelters and other family attractions, or form part of a broader fairground and funfair hire package.
The precise combination should be based on the audience and available venue rather than attempting to include every possible attraction.
Compare Dodgem Space with Other Large Attractions
Different rides use event space in very different ways. A Ferris wheel adds vertical clearance and sightline considerations, while Dodgems require a substantial continuous floor area. This can make one attraction much easier than another at a particular venue even if both are regarded as major rides.
See How Much Space Is Needed for Ferris Wheel Hire? for a useful comparison. For much smaller activities, How Much Space Do I Need for Giant Garden Games? shows how different the planning considerations can be.
Do Not Forget Breakdown Access
When the event closes, the Dodgems still need to be dismantled and removed. If later-installed equipment, temporary fencing or parked vehicles have blocked the original access route, breakdown can become unnecessarily difficult.
The route out of the venue should therefore be considered at the same time as the route in. This is particularly important for multi-supplier events where numerous contractors may be removing equipment simultaneously.
What Information Helps When Checking Whether Dodgems Will Fit?
The most useful starting point is accurate information about the proposed venue. Measurements of the clear operating area, access route, gate widths and surface can all help when assessing feasibility.
Photographs and a site plan can provide additional context, especially if there are permanent obstacles or unusual access arrangements. For larger events, it is also useful to indicate where other major attractions, catering areas, stages and public entrances are expected to be positioned.
Continue Planning Your Dodgem Hire
If Dodgems form part of a wider event, How to Place Funfair Rides Around the Site can help with the overall layout. You can also read How Do the Dodgems Work? for an explanation of the attraction itself and How Are Dodgems Safe? for more information about its safety systems and operation.
Our Guides contain further advice on ride transport, installation, power, queues, weather and event logistics.
If you would like to find out whether Traditional Dodgems or Modern Dodgems can work at your venue, contact us with the site dimensions and access details so the requirements of the specific attraction can be considered.