Few travel experiences seem more fantastical than soaring over landscapes in a colorful hot air balloon. For aerial enthusiasts, numerous festivals around the world now gather dozens or hundreds of balloonists and thousands of spectators to create stunning competitive events.
Albuquerque’s Mass Ascension
Top billing for hot air ballooning festivals goes to Albuquerque’s annual International Balloon Fiesta. Held each October, it’s the planet’s most photographed air balloon event that has mushroomed into a world mecca since the 1970s.
For the signature mass ascension showstopper, over 500 balloons lift off at dawn in two massive waves, floating in colorful swarms across blue skies. Special shape balloons like giant dinosaurs or Yoda heads make regular appearances too. Other daily events add glowdeo night shows illuminating balloons, balloon races and pilot skills challenges enthralling attendees.
The family friendly fiesta offers amusement rides and live music between launches along with balloon tethering rides. Event organizers claim the week-long festival now generates over $100 million dollars in local revenue annually.
Bird’s Eye Views Across Europe
Many European cities also host elaborate hot air balloon festivals, often coinciding with summer holiday months. France’s Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons bills itself as Europe’s biggest balloon meet. For 5 days in July, over 200 balloons representing 20 countries lift off en masse twice daily – once at sunset and again at sunrise.
Similarly, the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta held each August sends 150+ creative balloon shapes over England’s landscape. Special shapes like minions, rockets or animal shapes regularly delight crowds. Nightglows, skydivers and fireworks up the spectacle as hundreds of thousands descend to watch.
Exotic Balloon Fest Destinations
Beyond Europe and America’s Southwest, unusual locales increasingly grab their oversized seat at the balloon festival table. Canberra, Australia lights up winter skies with the SHINE Night Festival spectacular. While Zambia and Kenya’s African balloon safaris let you soar over the continent’s epic game parks spotting wildlife below.
The Kingdom of Bhutan even hosts annual tethered balloon shows coinciding with traditional Tshechu masked dance festivals. From tiny towns like Saga, Japan ballooning events to hotspots still growing the concept like Dubai and Singapore, spectacular balloon events continue expanding worldwide for shining new iterations aloft.
Adventure and Community
For veteran balloonists and spectators, part of the allure comes from uniting communities through whimsical beauty floating on air. Children’s faces light up seeing balloons of all shapes color the skies as inflatable wonders make the impossible real. Select balloon festivals allow visitors to train as student pilots and take inaugural hot air balloon rides unfurling new views.
And while souls ascend, camaraderie stirs on land bound festivities below. Music, amusement rides, glow parades, nightly fireworks and camping bring lively carnival spirit. For brief brilliant moments, daily divisions slip away as thousands crane necks skyward, bound by childlike awe. Hot air balloon festivals promise both harmless wonder escaping earthly bonds and gathering goodwill down below in global fellowship.
