A free-to-attend celebration of hot air ballooning held at Ashton Court Estate, featuring mass ascents, the Night Glow, tethering, and fairground rides.
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta returns to Ashton Court Estate from Friday 13 August to Sunday 15 August 2027. It's one of Europe's largest ballooning events and a fixture of the UK summer festival calendar, celebrating the city's ballooning heritage with more than a hundred hot air balloons arriving from across the globe. What started as a small passion project has grown into Bristol's most iconic and internationally recognised event, and it's helped establish the city as a leading centre for ballooning.
Beyond the mass ascents, the weekend's signature moment is the Night Glow, when dozens of balloons light up to a soundtrack produced by BBC Radio Bristol. There's plenty more to do on the ground, too: balloon tethering and demonstrations, aerial displays, model aircraft flying, fairground rides, food stalls and bars, and a local music stage. It's the kind of thing you can spend a whole afternoon at, or just pop in for the Night Glow.
Getting there takes a bit of planning. A shuttle bus runs between Bristol Temple Meads and Queen Square on the festival days, and the Clifton Suspension Bridge closes to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles on the Friday and Saturday nights, so keep that in mind if you're coming from the other side of the river. The event is at Ashton Court Estate, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41 9JN.
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It's free to attend, though car parking, the shuttle bus and hospitality tickets are paid. With three days to work with, you can pick the one that suits you best.
