What Are Temporary Pools and How Are They Built for Events?

Updated

A temporary pool is a pool designed, installed and removed around an event rather than built as a permanent facility. It is used for swimming, watersports and themed attractions, and is typically supplied and managed by a specialist contractor who handles design, construction, water management and dismantling. Hiring one makes sense when you need a pool for a defined period and either have no permanent water facility or need one in a location — indoors, on a showground, inside a venue — where a permanent pool is impossible or impractical.

What temporary pools are used for

Standby Events, a UK designer and builder of event sets and attractions, describes its temporary pool work as covering three broad uses:

  • Swimming — pools for public or guest swimming sessions within an event or attraction.
  • Watersports — pools built to support activities that need controlled water conditions.
  • Themed attractions — pools that form part of a designed visitor experience, where the look of the pool and its surroundings matter as much as the water itself.

Because the same supplier often builds stage sets, themed catering areas and other structures, temporary pools are frequently part of a wider attraction rather than a standalone item.

How a temporary pool is built for an event

The exact method depends on the pool type and site, but the sequence for an event build generally follows these stages:

  1. Brief and design. The supplier works from your intended use (swimming, watersports, theming), the space available and the event dates. The output is a pool specification: dimensions, depth, structure type, finishes and the surrounding set if needed.
  2. Site assessment. Access for delivery, ground or floor loading, available space and proximity to water and power all shape what can be built. This is the stage where most feasibility problems surface, so it should happen before design is fixed.
  3. Structure installation. The pool structure is delivered and assembled on site. For event work this is usually a modular or panel-based system rather than excavation, which is what allows it to be removed afterwards.
  4. Water management. Filling, treatment and circulation are set up so the water is safe and clear for the duration of use. This is an ongoing operational task, not a one-off step.
  5. Surrounds and theming. Decking, barriers, finishes and set pieces are added so the pool works as part of the attraction.
  6. Operation and dismantling. The supplier manages the pool through the event, then drains, disassembles and removes it.

Practical considerations before you commit

Consideration What to check
Sizing and depth Match dimensions and depth to the activity; watersports and swimming have different requirements
Access Can the structure and water equipment reach the site, and can they be removed afterwards?
Ground and floor loading The filled pool is heavy; the surface must be assessed, not assumed
Safety Barriers, supervision arrangements and water safety planning for the expected users
Water supply and treatment Where the water comes from, how it is treated, and how it is disposed of
Duration Temporary pools suit defined event periods; longer hires need a maintenance plan
Dismantling Confirm removal, site reinstatement and who is responsible for each

How temporary pools differ from permanent pools

A permanent pool is excavated or built into a structure, plumbed in permanently and maintained over years. A temporary pool is assembled for an event, operated for its duration and removed. That difference drives the trade-offs:

  • Speed and flexibility — temporary pools can be installed in venues and locations where permanent construction is not possible.
  • Removal — the site can be returned to its original use afterwards.
  • Lifespan — the pool is engineered for a defined period, not decades of use.
  • Integration — temporary pools are often built alongside event sets and theming, so the visual result can be designed as a whole.

When to use a specialist supplier

Use a specialist when the pool is part of a public event, when it involves watersports or swimming with real users, or when it must fit a designed attraction. The design, structural and water-safety decisions are interconnected, and a supplier who builds both the pool and the surrounding set can resolve them together. For a simple, short-duration water feature with no public swimming, the requirement is lighter — but the site, loading and water management questions still need answering before you commit.

If you are planning an event and weighing up a temporary pool, start with the intended use, the site access and the event dates; those three answers determine most of what the build will involve.