A balloon fiesta in Bristol
The summer skies over Bristol will once again be filled with hot air balloons this August, as the ASTRA International Bristol Balloon Fiesta gets into full swing (12th – 15th August).
Recognised as one of the UK’s top five outdoor events, around half a million people flock each year to this world-class hot air ballooning festival. Destination Bristol has responded by developing a range of summer late deals to the city at VisitBristol.co.uk.
This year, the Fiesta is celebrating the ‘golden jubilee’ of modern ballooning, with more balloons set take part than in recent years, the first hot air balloon to be built in Western Europe making a special guest appearance and a new flight competition being launched to honour the inventor of the sport.
It is fifty years since the first modern hot air balloon was developed by Ed Yost in the United States, using propane and a nylon envelope as an alternative to traditional gas balloons. Modern hot air balloons carry an onboard heat source to re-heat air inside the envelope during flight whereas previously, air had to be heated by a ground fire prior to take off and was often a hazardous business!
As a ‘curtain-raiser’ for the Fiesta, the city centre launch is set to take place from College Green, the first time it has taken place against this historic backdrop for many years. Flanked by the Cathedral and Council House, a group of balloons will take off from the Green on Monday 9 August with balloon teams dressed top to tail in their best 1960’s outfits, marking the decade in which modern ballooning began.
A full complement of 150 balloons are expected at this year’s event, a third more than took part last year, promising to make the mass ascents a truly magical experience. A third of the balloonists will come from the local area and will get a chance to mix with balloon teams from all over the world, from as far afield as Dubai, United States, Holland, France and Switzerland.
The ballooning at the main event gets underway with a Special Shapes Rodeo on Thursday 12 August, including the first appearance at the Fiesta of a spectacular new dragon balloon and welcoming back Fiesta favourites including the Churchill Dog, the Scottish Piper, Monster and Jaguar car.
Mass ascents of all the balloons will take place, weather permitting, from the main arena at 6am and 6pm on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Fiesta, with up to 900 flights are set to take place over the four days of this iconic city event.
The ‘golden jubilee’ will be celebrated throughout the weekend with the presence of flight director Don Cameron’s ‘Bristol Belle,’ the first hot air balloon to be built in Western Europe in 1967, which will be tethered at the event. During the Fiesta balloon teams will also compete for a new ‘Ed Yost Trophy’ (details of which are to be confirmed) to honour the father of modern ballooning.
A series of model balloons will fly around the edge of the arena, offering visitors a chance to have a ‘close-up’ demonstration of how the stars of the Fiesta work and balloon inflation demonstrations with full scale balloons will take place between mass ascents to give crowds an insight into how they work.
On Thursday 12 and Saturday 14 August, balloon crews will hurry back from their early evening flights to prepare for the ever popular Night Glows. Attracting up to 100,000 people, these spectacles see balloons tether in the main arena and light up like giant light bulbs in time to music before a firework display.
This year the HSBC Thursday Night Glow will celebrate 100 years of aviation in the West of England with a ‘Best of British’ theme choreographed by local balloonist Dave Groombridge, who operated the helium sphere balloon in last year’s Take That tour,
The Milka Saturday Night Glow will take a party theme with modern chart hits choreographed by local balloonist Ian Martin. To get into the party spirit, there will be a chance for the audience to participate in a huge night time Mexican wave using glow sticks.
After the Night Glows, the days’ events will close with breath-taking firework displays courtesy of leading specialists Skyburst Illuminations, which has developed a huge repertoire of different styles and effects. This year the base of the display has been relocated to give the public a clearer view of this spectacular finale with a red, white and blue themed display on Thursday, in keeping with the British theme.
On Sunday afternoon, huge crowds are expected to witness the breathtaking displays of the Red Arrows team, who are returning to the Fiesta for the third year in a row. The display is brought to the Fiesta by Mail Handling International and will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
Held in the rolling hills of Ashton Court on the edge of Bristol and founded in 1978, the Fiesta has become an icon for Bristol, as synonymous with the city as Brunel’s famous Suspension Bridge.
The event offers fantastic entertainment for the whole family. Whilst hot air balloons provide the main attraction throughout the weekend, there’s a full programme of family entertainment including arena and air displays, over 250 trade stands, a funfair and a new ‘Fiesta Activity Zone’ to complete the fun-packed festival.
