Permits for giant inflatables in Switzerland

Do you need a permit to install a giant inflatable in a public space?

Yes: use of public land is requested from the municipality; in the canton of Vaud it grants the event permit, and the canton of Zurich also names the municipality as the permitting authority.

In Vaud, the request goes through the POCAMA questionnaire at least 3 months before the event; fees range from 40 to 2’000 francs, and the municipality asks for plans, the programme and liability insurance.

In Geneva, the city wants the request at least 30 days before the event, filed on the canton’s one-stop "manifestations" portal; public land needs joint approval from the city and the canton, and installations pay an encroachment fee.

In the canton of Zurich, the permit is requested from the municipality at least three months ahead; in the city of Zurich, the contact is the Büro für Veranstaltungen. An installation that tours from one place to another therefore needs a permit in each municipality: add this time to the manufacturing lead time.

For Lausanne 2020, the Youth Olympic Games, the mountain-shaped inflatable arch by Digital Inflatables was set up 50 times over more than 4 months of touring.

Does a helium captive balloon need FOCA approval?

With people on board, yes: the OACS makes the use of captive balloons subject to FOCA approval. Without occupants, it bans captive balloons of 40 m³ or less flying less than 3 km from the runways of a civil or military aerodrome, unless air traffic control or the aerodrome manager grants an exception.

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Unoccupied aircraft, captive balloons included, fall first under implementing regulation (EU) 2019/947, which the OACS supplements: for an advertising balloon with no passengers, have the FOCA confirm which rules apply to the site.

How a helium balloon behaves in the wind, and its limits, are covered in the guide to wind limits and anchoring.

What liability insurance does an inflatable on public land need?

The municipality usually asks for liability insurance: Vaud requests it with the POCAMA file, and Vevey reminds organisers that it is their responsibility.

For a captive balloon, the OACS sets a minimum: liability insurance of at least 1 million francs for any aircraft over 250 g, except a balloon with a payload under 0.5 kg and a volume under 30 m³.

Check with your insurer that the policy covers the object, its installation and its operation on site; the amount required for an inflatable on the ground is to be confirmed with the municipality.

In Vevey, more than 500 people in the open air, or more than 300 under a marquee or big top, require a fire protection plan and a safety officer. That is where Digital Inflatables designed, made and installed the 12 m grape for the Fête des Vignerons 2019, built from 23 balloons of 2.2 m.

Do you need 230 V power for the blower?

Yes, a constant-air inflatable needs a continuous supply: to lend its inflatable arch, 8 m wide and 6 m high, the canton of Graubünden requires a 230 V electrical connection.

In Vevey, event power connections are requested from Romande Energie. Elsewhere, the supplier and the connection point are to be confirmed with the municipality.

Have a qualified electrician install and check the temporary connection, and protect cables and blower from rain and foot traffic.

For an inflatable that the public walks into, emergency power keeps it up during an outage: the 20 m dome made for the PlanetSolar Foundation combines a dual pressure system with emergency power.

Does a branded inflatable count as advertising?

It may be treated as an advertising device, to be confirmed with the municipality: in Montreux, any temporary or permanent advertising device visible to the public, on public or private land, needs the approval of the Municipalité.

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The same regulation bans devices on roofs unless an exception is granted, and illuminated devices must be switched off from 00h00 to 06h00.

The 6-metre inflatable tooth made for Ardentis served an out-of-home (OOH) campaign in Lausanne: lit from inside at night, it was also installed on a roof.