Funfair Hire in Cambridge
Cambridge has been home to a fair on Midsummer Common for more than eight centuries, and fairground fun is still part of the city's year, from college May Balls to school fairs and festivals on its commons and greens. With one of our bases in Cambridge, our crews cover the city centre, Chesterton, Cherry Hinton, Trumpington, Arbury, Romsey and the villages around the city, including Histon, Girton and Great Shelford.
Which Cambridge open spaces can host a funfair?
Cambridge City Council lists several popular spaces for medium and large events. Each has its own character and limits:
- Parker's Piece: a large open green in the city centre with heavy vehicle access and limited water and sewage points.
- Jesus Green: riverside parkland with heavy vehicle access and water and sewage points.
- Midsummer Common: open common land, home to the historic Midsummer Fair, with restricted operating conditions that the council asks you to discuss before applying.
- Christ's Pieces: a smaller central space where vehicle access is restricted to 7.5 tonnes.
- Cherry Hinton Hall: parkland in the south east of the city with heavy vehicle access and water and sewage points.
Vehicle weight limits matter when choosing rides. On Christ's Pieces, for example, we would suggest stalls, inflatables and trailer-mounted attractions rather than heavier rides.
What does the council need from event organisers?
You need council permission to hold an event on any Cambridge park or open space, starting with a statement of intent, and the council asks you to get in touch as early as possible. It requires public liability insurance of at least £5 million per claim, a risk assessment, and contractors such as ride operators to hold their own cover. Formal events generally need a premises licence or, for smaller events, a temporary event notice. The council publishes a specific daily fee for fairs, so ask us to include our ride list early when you are costing the event.
Our £10 million public liability cover, ADIPS certificates and site-specific risk assessments can go straight into your application.
May Balls and College Events
June brings the May Ball season, and college committees often want rides that look the part under festoon lights and can be built overnight in a court or on a lawn. Old college gateways can be narrow, so we check widths and heights early. The Traditional Swing Boats All Ages and the Traditional Adult Golden Horse Carousel Gallopers Ride suit the setting, and Festoon Lighting Hire ties the layout together after dark.
School Fairs, Science Parks and Village Fetes
Primary schools from Arbury to Trumpington run summer fairs on playgrounds and fields, where our children's funfair rides and a few fairground stalls and games fit neatly. The science and business parks on the edge of the city host staff family days, where the Professor Burps Bubbleworks and a Traditional Ice Cream Cart keep a mixed crowd happy. Village fetes in Histon, Girton and the Shelfords usually suit a single vintage ride and a pair of stalls.
Getting Rides into Central Cambridge
The city centre has narrow streets, bus gates and plenty of cyclists, so delivery timing matters. We plan early-morning arrivals, use the vehicle routes agreed with the council or college, and choose attractions that can be wheeled into place where large vehicles cannot reach. On the commons and greens, ground boards protect the turf on the way in and out.
Nearby Areas
For Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots and Peterborough, see funfair hire in Cambridgeshire. Our Cambridge crews also cover funfair hire in Suffolk and funfair hire in Essex.
Book online to secure your date, or call 07885 730 150 or 07772 192 461 to plan your Cambridge event.