Mass Ascents

At the heart of the experience of this unique event, is a game of chance – will these majestic hot air balloons take flight.

With mass ascents of over 100 hot air balloons scheduled twice daily, visitors have the chance to see the compact central arena awash with a rainbow of colour at dawn (approx. 6am) and at dusk (approx. 6pm).

As forecasts can change, and the weather around Ashton Court Estate can be very localised any decision to fly is left until the pilot’s briefings, which take place just before a scheduled flight.

An announcement will then be made to say whether it is safe for pilots to fly.

beyond the arena

Beyond the arena, a programme of entertainment, traders, exhibitors, caterers and activities allow visitors to experience the magic of ballooning and this unique day out even when the weather prevents the balloons from taking flight. 

During the day you will find the Brizzle Kicks family entertainment stage, produced by Party Peeps, and the Moon Stage, our acoustic music stage produced by BIMM.

Introduced in 2025, is In The Clouds, an immersive attraction where visitors can walk inside a cold-inflated hot air balloon, while viewing and hearing video footage matched to immersive lighting to celebrate this history of hot air ballooning.