News / Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2025
Balloons take over Bristol skies for festival’s 47th edition
The celebration that is the Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2025 has come to a close. Ending a beautiful weekend with one last ascent into the skies on a gloriously bright and sunny evening on Sunday.
This year saw the debut of the Wednesday balloon, marking the release of the Netflix show of the same name.
Thousands gathered in the fields of Ashton Court Estate, to the hills of the Downs and parks near and far to see the balloons gliding through the sky.
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There was a brief calamity as one balloon took out a couple of tiles on top of a primary school, but otherwise 2025 was another success.
Four mass ascents, over 300 balloon flights, two awe-inspiring Nightglows, all over one incredible weekend.
The most iconic photo of Bristol has to be balloons flying over the Clifton Suspension Bridge – photo: Rob Brown
On Friday and Saturday, thousands of visitors stayed late to experience the visual spectacular that is the Nightglow.
Soundtracked by BBC Radio Bristol, each night 25 balloons were expertly choreographed to light up in time to the music, illuminating not only Ashton Court Estate, but the living rooms of thousands more streaming on BBC iPlayer.
On the closing day, beyond the two mass ascents, the afternoon saw the introduction of Special Shapes Sunday with firm favourites Thomas the Tank Engine, Snow White, Sonic the Hedgehog, Wallace & Gromit’s Moon Rocket and Slither the Snake tethered in the arena.
The balloons flew over the bonded tobacco warehouses that were designed in 1903, creating a mirrored image in the water – photo: Rob Browne
Ben Hardy, executive director of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, said: “As we close the 47th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, we’re reflecting on this year’s theme – Beyond the Horizon – and I can confidently say we’ve not only reached that horizon but have gone far beyond it.
“Together, we’ve delivered four incredible mass ascents, two breathtaking nightglows, and welcomed our new title partner, Albert Goodman.
“We’ve hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors, worked with over 30 sponsors and 12 partners, and introduced new activities that have sparked excitement, including In the Clouds, our immersive balloon experience, and the Flight Control live landing tracker.
“This year, memories were made, and Bristol was united in its shared love of hot air ballooning.”
Buster the bulldog made and appearance – photo: Rob Browne
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, now in its 47th year, has continued to stay true to its ethos of remaining free to attend for all.
Now in year two of a five-year strategy to protect the viability of the event, this year’s Fiesta has celebrated the theme ‘Beyond The Horizon.’
The Fiesta will now look towards pushing the event to new boundaries and inspiring excitement and ambition with the ‘Sky’s The Limit.’
The balloons put on a show on the ground – photo: Rob Browne
The revitalised mainstay has received incredible support from sponsors and partners, including a new headline sponsor coming on board. Leading South West accounting and financial planning firm, Albert Goodman, were in the first year of a three-year partnership deal.
Robin Clempson, Partner at Albert Goodman, commented on the first year of the partnership: “This year, watching hundreds of balloons take off over the city reminded me why the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is one of the South West’s most cherished events.
“As a firm rooted in this region for over a century, we understand how special this region is, and how rare it is to find events that genuinely unite entire communities.
“The Fiesta does exactly that, bringing together families from all over the South West, first-time visitors and seasoned balloon enthusiasts, all sharing the same sense of joy and pride.
“While there have been months of preparation, nothing quite matches the reality of standing in Ashton Court at dawn. For Albert Goodman, we’re proud to support the Balloon Fiesta, to ensure future generations can experience those same moments of joy, wonder and awe we witnessed this weekend.”
Crowds gather at one of the go-to spots in Bristol, trekking there in the early hours to catch the best views – photo: Rob Browne
This year also saw the introduction of two new interactive additions to the programme.
‘In the Clouds’, which invited adventurers to step inside a cold-inflated hot air balloon.
While inside the balloon envelope, a film, light and soundscape celebrated Bristol’s rich heritage and connection to the world of hot air ballooning.
The second new attraction, ‘Flight Control’, in partnership with GWR, has enabled visitors to see where the balloons have landed after taking off from the event’s launch field. Following each flight, the map updated as pilots logged their landing locations, highlighting the reach of the event beyond Ashton Court Estate.
A balloon ascends through the chaos – photo: Rob Browne
The 47th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta has been supported by Albert Goodman, Butcombe, Thatchers, GWR, Go Skippy, Triangle Networks, SLX, CAB IT, Richmond Event Management, AMBITIOUS, Bristol City Centre Bid, The James Dyson Foundation, The Motorhome Holiday Company, Cameron Balloons, Origin Workspace, Party Peeps, Woven, BIMM University, What’s On Bristol, Stagecoach, Hotshots Entertainment, Marriot Bristol Royal, Delta Hotels, Leonardo Hotels, Tequila Flora, WildJac, Boe, Tommy’s Fizz, Clifton Hotels, and The Bristol Hotel.
Fire roars into the balloons – photo: Rob Browne
Beyond balloons, the event programme spanned across acres of the countryside estate, offering entertainment, activities, food and drink, trade stands, and exhibitions.
Everyone’s favourite statuesque dragon, Oggy, rules the skies at 143ft tall – photo: Rob Browne
If you enjoyed the Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2025 make sure to donate to help the non-for-profit event going for many years to come. Head to bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk to donate.
A bird’s eye view over Bristol on Friday morning- photo: Hannah Massoudi
Main photo: Rob Browne
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