The buzz of excitement is tangible, the smell of street food enticing and the throb of the music thrilling as the evening builds up to its climax, the Nightglow.
It has to rank as one of the most exciting events in the world. Nightglow starts when the envelopes are laid flat on the ground around the huge arena. Vehicles roll in and baskets are unloaded and attached to the flattened envelopes of the hot air balloons. Announcements promise ‘one more song’ before the glow up begins. Five songs later, silence descends, then the loudspeaker bursts into life. The time has come to inflate the balloons. Fans spring into life to partially inflate the envelopes with cold air. The dark ground of the arena swells up into colourful humps.
Then suddenly, as one, the propane burners start running, huge flames shoot into the half-inflated envelopes and balloons start rising from the ground . The music beats around the arena and withing seconds the balloons have risen above their baskets which are tethered to the ground. Cheers go up from an audience of thousands encircling the arena. Whooshing flames keep the balloons dancing above their baskets and regular glow ups illuminate the area. Handlers struggle with the ropes to prevent them slipping away into the dark night. The atmosphere is electric as the crowd sing along and cheer to every glow up. Truly magical and then, it dies away, and darkness descends once again. But the memory will linger on.
It was my first visit to the Bristol International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta now in its 46th year. This annual three-day, free to attend, fiesta attracts huge crowds from all over the world. Hot air balloon teams from around the UK and other parts of the world arrive here to take part in mass ascents when as many as 100 balloons could be launched at the same time. It is a celebration of the city of Bristol and its links to the remarkable world of hot air ballooning. And has come a long way since its initiation when a group of friends met here in 1979. Every year, during the month of August Bristol celebrates its place in history as the birthplace of hot-air ballooning and worldwide capital of the sport.
The Balloon Fiesta takes place on the outskirts of Bristol city in the extensive, rolling grounds of an old country estate, Ashton Court. Within the grounds are several large car parks (charges apply) and a fleet of double decker shuttle buses run regularly between Temple Meads Station and Ashton Court (tickets can be bought in advance online). I decided to take advantage of the shuttle bus service and purchased a day ticket online. The shuttle bus made one stop on its way to Ashton Court – a few yards along the road from my comfortable and convenient hotel, The Bristol Hotel. It takes about twenty minutes to walk from the shuttle bus stop to the main arena. But there are interesting distractions on the way such as large herds of deer grazing in the surrounding deer parks and the house itself, Ashton Court Mansion. The main arena is ringed with fairground amusements, street food vans and bars. I was hungry when I arrived and treated myself to a Cornish pasty and then sat on a grassy mound to enjoy my food and soak up the atmosphere. Next stop, a bar for a pint of local cider.
Events take place in the main arena throughout the day and there is a full programme for each of the three days. I arrived in time for the evening mass assent. Assents are reliant on the weather and when green smoke floated into the air above the main arena a great cheer went up as it meant the balloons would be flying this evening. I made my way to the arena where the balloons were already getting ready for lift off. One by one they drifted away until the sky was a mass of brilliant spheres.
Once the last hot air balloon had floated out of sight we were entertained by a Samba Band. They were followed by a display of model hot air balloons, ‘walked’ around the arena by their owners – some of whom clearly had a great sense of humour. We had just seen a Wallace and Grommet balloon rising up into the sky and now a duck was being paraded by his owner.
A steady stream of vehicles was transporting envelopes and baskets of balloons that had gone up earlier and were now returning to the arena to take part in the Nighglow. Spectators who had drifted away to enjoy the fun of the fair and refreshments were now flooding back in anticipation of the final event of the day. The slopes of the surrounding hills providing excellent vantage points.
Once the last light of the Nightglow had faded it was time to leave. An estimated 100,000 people had attended the event today and a mass of people were heading for the six gates. I just followed them and was soon at the shuttle bus pick up. A long line of shuttle buses was filling up and leaving immediately. As ticket holders were given priority I was soon on a bus and on my way back to the city centre – images of the spectacle I had just witnessed still in my head. It had been a remarkable and enjoyable experience and I am already planning to return next year.
Click here for information about the Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2025
Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller . An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 28 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing and now contributes to several different websites.