Cover Page - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Nov. 14, 2019
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2019
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Entity Registrant Name	Pivotal Acquisition Corp
Entity Central Index Key	0001752474
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	true
Entity Ex Transition Period	false
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Shell Company	true
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Class A Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Trading Symbol	PVT
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		23,000,000
Title of 12(b) Security	Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Class B Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		5,750,000
Capital Units
Document Information [Line Items]
Trading Symbol	PVT.U
Title of 12(b) Security	Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one redeemable warrant
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Warrant
Document Information [Line Items]
Trading Symbol	PVT WS
Title of 12(b) Security	Redeemable warrants, exercisable for shares of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share
Security Exchange Name	NYSE