On Wednesday 1st April, a number of hot air balloons gathered at Ashton Court Estate to mark the official launch of the 48th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, set to take place from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th August 2026. No, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. The aim was simple; bring some much-needed colour back to the Bristol skies after a long winter.
The fiesta returns in 2026 following the huge success of last year’s event, which saw all four mass ascents take place in near-perfect flying conditions.
Official Dates: Friday 7 - Sunday 9 August 2026
In the build-up, organisers invited local balloon teams to assemble at Ashton Court, just beyond the treeline from the Fiesta Field, for a planned media flight across the city to help build excitement for August. Despite less than 48 hours’ notice, 14 teams made the effort to attend, which shows the strong support behind the event.
However, with unfavourable weather forecast for the morning, the flight itself was unable to go ahead. Instead, the planned flight quickly changed into a static display, with 13 balloons inflating on site in some fairly brisk surface winds. The line-up featured a mix of familiar attendees, including Cameron Balloons, Champagne Taittinger and SM Gauge Company, alongside three new additions for the 2026 season.
A brand new hot air balloon was unveiled for fiesta title sponsors Albert Goodman, the South West-based accountancy firm, marking an exciting addition ahead of this year’s event. The eye-catching bright pink Cameron Z-120, registered G-CNDB, immediately stood out during its first appearance and is set to be a familiar sight in the Bristol skies throughout the summer. It will be operated by First Flight, who also fly the well-known Thatchers fleet and Bradfords.
Another new addition to look out for this season is the Cameron Z-105 for 1936 Bière, also operated by First Flight, which was first launched back in January at Château-d’Oex in Switzerland.
The third new balloon in attendance was a colourful Cameron Sport-60 registered G-RONY, for local balloonist Jean-Paul Luttrell. It’s named after his young son, Ronnie! We think this one claims the top spot for most colourful balloon in the region.
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With over four months to go until this year’s fiesta, it’s the first time anything like this has happened so early. It was great to see several balloons gathered together for the first time in a little while.
The event returns for 2026 with night glows on the opening two days, and twice daily mass ascents at 6am and 6pm.
Enjoy some of our best pictures from the morning tether:
Visit the Bristol Balloon Fiesta website here: bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk
