Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2025: Day One
Here's everything you need to know about the opening day of the Fiesta
Hot air balloon pilots in Bristol will be hoping for clear skies this Friday (8th August) for the 47th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta!
Gates open at Ashton Court at 5:30am in time for the first mass ascent at 6am (weather permitting).
Hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on the festival for a weekend of balloons, entertainment, history and interactive activities.
What's on in 2025?
Festival-favourites will be returning to the 47th Fiesta, with mass ascents planned to take flight twice a day.
The popular nightglow will also return on Friday and Saturday night, with 12 balloons setting alight in time to music.
In a fiesta first, visitors will get a chance to walk inside a half-inflated balloon as part of the "In The Clouds" experience. The immersive attraction will play archive footage of Bristol's ballooning past and replicate the soundscape of a pilot in flight.
Getting to the Fiesta
Once again the Balloon Fiesta is back at its home of Ashton Court.
Entry to the site is free but if you want to drive, car parking comes at a cost.
Walking and cycling to Ashton Court is encouraged, but a shuttle bus service is also available.
Services will run from Bristol Temple Meads and the City Centre to get people to the site and from Ashton Court for people leaving.
This service runs from 10:00am with return journeys running until 11.30pm.
The m2 metro bus service runs between Bristol Temple Meads and Long Ashton Park & Ride, which is a short walk from the event site.
The weather
For hot air balloons to take to the skies, the right weather conditions are absolutely crucial.
Ideally we need to see dry conditions with only a little bit of wind, as too strong a breeze makes it difficult to control the balloon in the air, while too little wind means the balloons simply wouldn't go anywhere after take off.
Today it is forecast to be dry and warm, with sunny intervals in the afternoon.
The wind is also not forecast to be too strong with a general speed of just 3mph forecast at the time of the first scheduled mass ascent, meaning a successful flight could be on the cards.
Forecasts also look good for the evening's ascent, with wind speeds of around 10mph.
Schedule
6am - Scheduled Mass Ascent (weather permitting)
6:20am - Opening Ceremony
7:30am - Family Yoga (by Moon Stage)
7:45am - Model Balloons
8:45am - Historic Balloons
10:15am - Peter Powell's Stunt Kite Display
11am - The Rockets - Children's Motorcycle Display Team
12pm - Bristol Bears: Strive 25, 16+ Women session
1pm - Hot Air Balloon Tethering (weather permitting)
2pm - Bristol Bears: All Ages
2:15pm - Peter Powell's Stunt Kite Display
3pm - Meet the Pilot
3:15pm - Model Balloon Display
4:30pm - The Rockets Children's Motorcycle Display Team
5pm - Cookie Cartoonery Workshops (Circus Tent)
6pm - Schedule Mass Ascent (weather permitting)
7:30pm - Samba Band
7:30pm - Peter Powell's Stunt Kite Display
8pm - Model Balloons Glow
9pm - Nightglow