Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Bristol has been at the forefront of ballooning since the 1960s, and what better way to show off its history than to gather together ballooning fanatics from all over the world every August to fly over the city and celebrate it? The Balloon Fiesta is a huge annual family event in the city, drawing people from all over it to the two night glows, evening events that take place on the Friday and Saturday night where the balloon burners are switched on and off in time to music (the likes of ABBA and Tom Jones) and fireworks are let off. It sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s fun and certainly unusual; and in the daytime, there are ballooning displays, entertainment and stalls, and the Red Arrows typically close the show on a Sunday. The sight of hundreds of balloons drifting across the sky is one not to be missed.