Pluvius insurance
Every outdoor event risks adverse weather. Don’t suffer financial losses if rain causes yours to be cut short or cancelled.
Experienced brokers for pluvius insurance in Australia
Don’t let bad weather wash away your profits. At Ian Jones Insurance Brokers, we are experts in rain protection insurance for events across Australia.
Our team appreciates how much time, money and effort go into planning an outdoor event — and how devastating unexpected downpours can be for organisers and venue owners. We work with a trusted network of leading insurers who specialise in event coverage, allowing us to tailor protection that fits your specific needs and circumstances.
Typical inclusions
Pluvius insurance is designed to cover measurable rainfall that directly impacts the success or continuation of your event. Coverage generally includes:
- Loss of revenue or profit caused by rainfall that exceeds the threshold stated in your policy (e.g. 15mm between 7 am–5 pm).
- Full or partial event cancellation, if rain prevents your event from going ahead as planned.
- Reduced attendance or trading, where heavy rain deters patrons, leading to a measurable loss in income.
- Multi-day event coverage, allowing protection across consecutive days or specific high-risk hours.
- Pre- and post-event cover, to protect setup and pack-down periods if rain delays or damages preparations.
These inclusions can be customised to match your event’s timing, location, and exposure to weather risk.
Common exclusions
While rain insurance covers many weather-related losses, certain exclusions typically apply:
- Rainfall below the insured threshold (e.g. drizzle or light showers).
- Flooding, wind or lightning — unless additional weather cover is included.
- Events outside the insured time or location, such as delays before or after the nominated period.
- Operational or equipment failures unrelated to weather.
- Pre-existing weather forecasts known before the policy start date.
Failure to obtain necessary permits or licences, even if caused by weather delays.Insurers also rely on official Bureau of Meteorology rainfall data or another approved local gauge — if there’s no recorded rainfall above the set limit, the claim won’t be triggered.
Enjoy peace of mind, whatever the weather brings
Not every insurer offers rain insurance. In fact, only a select few specialise in the risks faced by outdoor event organisers.
At Ian Jones Insurance Brokers, we make it simple to secure tailored rain cover that safeguards your event and your bottom line — all at a competitive rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pluvius Insurance is an insurance policy that covers financial losses incurred as a result of rain, which has caused an event to reduce or experience a downturn in trade, or to cancel an outdoor event such as a carnival, agricultural show, sporting event or other entertainment event.
It is primarily based on rain measurements taken at certain times on specific days at a specific rainfall measurement.
If the rainfall measured exceeds the insured value (e.g. 15mm between 7 am to 5 pm), a claim would be triggered and the sum insured would be paid out.
Yes, pluvius insurance and rain insurance are the same thing. The term ‘pluvius’ is used by the insurance industry, derived from Latin ‘pluvial’, which relates to or is characterised by rainfall.
Businesses may need pluvius insurance for events that are held outdoors. This cancellation or abandonment cover applies where earning capacity may be compromised due to wet weather events.
Examples of these could be agricultural shows, music festivals, sporting events, and community fairs.
Yes. Rain insurance can cover both full cancellations and partial disruptions. If heavy rain limits attendance, forces you to shorten the event, or reduces sales and trading activity, your policy can provide a payout to offset lost income.
This allows you to recover costs and maintain financial stability, even if the weather impacts your event’s success.
Standard rain insurance covers rainfall only, but you can extend your protection to include other weather risks such as wind, lightning or extreme heat.
These can be particularly valuable for outdoor events with temporary structures, stages or marquees. Our brokers can help you combine different policies to create complete weather-event protection.
No. This insurance only covers losses caused by rainfall exceeding a set threshold.
Non-appearance insurance is a separate type of event cover that protects organisers if a key performer, speaker or participant cannot attend due to illness, injury, transport disruption or other unforeseen circumstances.
If you’re running a concert, festival or major public event, combining rain insurance with non-appearance and event cancellation cover ensures you’re protected from both weather-related and personnel-related risks.
Ian Jones Insurance Brokers can help you package these policies for complete peace of mind.
The cost of rain insurance depends on several factors, including your event site, date, duration, historical rainfall data and the sum you choose to insure. Premiums are typically affordable compared to the potential loss if your event is cancelled.
At Ian Jones Insurance Brokers, we compare quotes from Australia’s leading weather-event insurers to find competitive cover that matches your budget and risk profile.