Bristol Balloon Fiesta

The fiesta and kite festival pages cover the free major events that occur on the Ashton Court Estate.

Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Running each year from the 1st or 2nd Thursday in August to the following Sunday, the 4 days of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta are Ashton Courts biggest event by far.

With good weather and the Red Arrows there were almost 500,000 visitors on the last day of the 2009 event.

Dates & times for the 2010 fiesta

Thursday 12th Aug 2010	6:00pm special shapes 9:30pm night glow
Friday 13th Aug 2010	6:00am mass ascent 6:00pm mass ascent
Saturday 14th Aug 2010	6:00am mass ascent 12:00pm arena events start 3:45pm-4:00pm Black Cat  Royal Navy Helicopter Team 6:00pm mass ascent 9:30pm night glow
Sunday 15th Aug 2010	6:00am mass ascent 12:00pm arena events start 3:45pm-4:00pm Black Cat  Royal Navy Helicopter Team 4:30pm Red Arrows 6:00pm mass ascent

See the Balloon Fiesta website for full details of all events. There will be road closures too (not shown on Sat Navs), so check the event website if you intend to visit by car.

Note that while entry is free there are parking charges. You can support the Balloon Fiesta, which is a not for profit organisation by paying for official parking inside the estate.

Launches are subject to weather, the special shape balloons in particular like light winds. If its to windy to launch there may a tethered inflation like the one below in gusty 2006.

A tethered inflation of the Special Shapes Rodeo.

To get a good idea of the flight path of any balloon launches see Wind Map Britain (external link).

Bertie Basset.