Bristol Balloon Fiesta: Ashton Court in August
Bristol Balloon Fiesta puts 500 hot air balloons over the city every August. Here is the complete guide.
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court Estate runs every August and is the largest hot air balloon event in Europe. Around 500 balloons participate across the four-day festival, with the mass ascents – when 100-plus balloons launch simultaneously from the estate – producing a spectacle that is, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary free views available anywhere in the UK. The event draws over 100,000 people each year and remains free to enter the Ashton Court grounds.
The Mass Ascents
The mass ascents take place twice daily – a morning ascent (usually around 6am) and an evening ascent (around 6pm, weather dependent). The morning ascent requires an early start but the light quality at dawn over Bristol, with 100 balloons rising above the Avon Gorge and the city below, is worth the alarm. The evening ascent is more accessible and draws the larger crowd. Both are subject to wind conditions – the festival website updates on whether ascents will take place on the morning of each day.
The Night Glow
The Night Glow on Friday and Saturday evenings is the most visually arresting event of the festival – balloons tethered to the ground are inflated and their burners fired in sequence to illuminate them from within, creating a display of light and colour set to music. The Night Glow is the event that photographs best and the one that the festival’s reputation rests on. Arrive at Ashton Court early to get a position with a clear sightline to the main glow area.
Getting to Ashton Court
Ashton Court is on the Somerset side of the Suspension Bridge, accessible by road from Long Ashton or via the bridge itself. Parking on site is available but the traffic on ascent evenings is slow – the festival bus service from Bristol city centre and Clifton is the practical option. Cycling over the Suspension Bridge and locking up at the estate is the best approach for Bristol residents within cycling distance.
Viewing from the City
The mass ascents are visible from multiple points across Bristol – the top of Clifton Down, Brandon Hill, Dundry Hill to the south, and the high ground around Totterdown all provide viewing positions without the Ashton Court crowds. The balloons drift on the prevailing wind and their track across the city after ascent provides impromptu spectacle across the suburbs. The WhatsApp groups tracking balloon locations across the city on ascent mornings are a genuine Bristol phenomenon.