Bristol International Balloon Fiesta’s 47th year this summer

National World - LocalTV

The skies above Bristol are set to come alive once again. I’m here with the balloon fiesta team, where final preparations are underway for one of the UK’s most visually spectacular events – the 2025 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.

Transcript

00:00The skies above Bristol are set to come alive once again. I'm here with the Balloon Fiesta

00:10team where final preparations are underway for one of the UK's most visually spectacular

00:17events, the 2025 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. Over 100 balloons are expected to

00:23take to the skies from Friday the 8th to Sunday the 10th of August, drawing crowds from across

00:29the country.

00:31So the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is actually 47 this year, amazing, we're still

00:35going. It's a completely free event for Bristol, that is its constitution, so stay free for

00:40the city and to promote the city on an international stage. So this year we're taking place on Friday

00:45the 8th to Sunday the 10th of August. We've got over 100 balloons registered to attend in

00:51our Master Sense, obviously weather permitting, and two nightglows on the Friday and Saturday.

00:55Beyond the colour and spectacle, this event is also a window into Bristol's deep roots

01:02in balloon manufacturing and aeronautics innovations. It's not just what happens in the air that's

01:10drawing attention this year. On the ground, organisers have introduced new ways for the

01:15public to engage with the world of ballooning. One of those is the giant walk-in balloon experience,

01:22simulating flight from the inside out.

01:24But this year we've also looked at how we can expand that programme and improve the visitor

01:29experience. You know, if balloons can't fly or throughout the day, how do we really pack

01:33that agenda out? So one of our new highlights is called In the Clouds. So essentially, I think

01:38we all take it for granted what it's like to be this close to our air balloon. But when they

01:43cold inflate, so when you see them on their side like this, a lot of the pilots will walk inside

01:47to check the rigging inside the balloon. So we're essentially rigging a balloon envelope

01:52inside a marquee to make it completely weatherproof. It will be cold inflated inside. And then there

01:58is a video and soundscape that go with it. So all visitors will be able to walk through

02:03and have their own immersive experience of what it's like to be inside a hot air balloon.

02:06Over here, visitors are getting hands-on with real burners, baskets and even pilot demonstrations.

02:12It's part of the wider push to bring more education and interactivity to the event that's become a staple

02:20in the city's calendar. With tens of thousands expected to attend across the weekend, organisers

02:27face the usual balancing act, ensuring the spectacle goes off safely while still managing

02:33cloud numbers, weathers, risks and environmental impact. While the event remains free to enter,

02:40parking is now ticketed in advance and visitors are being urged to use public transport where

02:47possible. This is the school's Tether Roadshow, which is our community programme as part of the

02:52Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. So every year we like to get out into the communities.

02:56This year we've decided we're coming out to schools.

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