Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

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Early morning mass ascent

Saturday afternoon launch

Saturday Nightglow

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is held during August in Bristol, United Kingdom. Teams from all over the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time.

The event is one of the largest in Europe and it is common to have crowds of over 100,000 on each of the four days of the festival. It takes place in a large country estate Ashton Court. Balloon launches are attempted twice a day, at 6am and 6pm, subject to weather conditions.

One popular attraction is the night glow, when balloons are inflated and glow to music after dark. Another attraction is the large number of special shaped balloons which take off in addition to the regular ones.

In 2003 the weight of crowds returning from the Balloon Fiesta and Ashton Court festival put such great strain on the Clifton Suspension Bridge that it was decided to close the bridge to all traffic, including pedestrians, during these events from 2004 onwards.