Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2023: Day One
Here's everything you need to know about the opening day of the Fiesta
Last updated 10th Aug 2023
We could have the most picturesque scenes possible in Bristol this evening as the city's International Balloon Fiesta returns.
Gates open at Ashton Court at 12pm with entertainment planned all afternoon, before (weather permitting) the first mass ascent at 6pm and the first nightglow at 9pm.
This is the second time the Fiesta has gone ahead in full since the coronavirus pandemic and is the first edition at which a mass ascent has been formally planned for Thursday.
Balloons have taken to the skies on Fiesta Thursday before, but either in smaller groups or in ascents arranged at short notice because of poor weather forecasts for the other days.
The site & getting to it
Once again the Balloon Fiesta is back at its home of Ashton Court.
As well as the main arena from which the balloons will take off, there is also a bandstand featuring live music, a children's area featuring the Brizzle Kicks stage, dozens of food and drinks stalls and fairground rides.
Entry to the site is free but if you want to drive, car parking comes at a cost.
All tickets must be bought in advance via this link and cost up to ÂŁ30 for cars and ÂŁ15 for motorbikes.
Walking and cycling to Ashton Court is encouraged, but a shuttle bus service is also back this year, having been cancelled in 2022 because of a national shortage of drivers.
Services will run "at frequent intervals" according to organisers, from Bristol Temple Meads and Queen Square to get people to the site and from Ashton Court for people leaving.
Once again all tickets should be bought in advance, which you can do so here.
Children under 16 can travel for free when accompanied by an adult.
Traffic
The roads surrounding Ashton Court are known to get busy during the Fiesta, especially in the early morning and evening around the times of the mass ascents.
As such, National Highways are urging drivers to allow extra time for journeys.
The M5 at junction 19 could be particularly busy during the event as southbound traffic will use the junction to access the A369 and the event site.
The M5 at junction 21 will also see increased traffic as northbound traffic uses the A370 to travel to the Fiesta and traffic will also use the M32 to travel through Bristol to the event.
Kathryn Wiltshire, National Highways’ network planning officer for the South West, said: “We’re reminding road users to plan ahead during the Balloon Fiesta – roads leading to the event are likely to be very busy.
“Our aim is to keep the National Highways network running while keeping fiesta goers and other road users safe and informed.
"We advise people to check our traffic and travel information channels, set off early and allow plenty of time.”
Several road closures will be in place around the site from 7pm each evening to allow for the safe departure of pedestrians including Kennel Lodge Road, the southern end of Parklands Road and the A370 between Winterstoke Road and Colliters Road.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge will also shut to both pedestrians and traffic today and on Saturday (12 August) from 6pm until midnight.
Meanwhile parking on many of the surrounding roads will be restricted to residents only, including in Long Ashton.
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 hot, with high temperatures of 26 degrees.
The wind is also not forecast to be too strong with a general speed of around 10mph forecast at the time of the scheduled mass ascent, meaning a successful flight could be on the cards.
Potential gusts of a little over 20mph however, could prove problematic.
The forecasted wind direction is from the South, meaning if the balloons do take to the sky they will likely fly north over the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and off towards the M5.
Schedule
You can see a full schedule for action in the main arena today, below:
12pm - Gates open
1pm-3pm - Model balloons on display
2pm-4pm - Historic balloon tethering
3pm-4pm - A chance to meet the ballooning teams
4pm-5pm - Army parachute display team performance
5pm-6pm - Model plane flights
5pm-6pm - Special shapes tethering
6pm-7pm - Mass ascent featuring up to 100 balloons
7pm-8pm - Model plane flights
8pm-9pm - Model balloons nightglow
9pm-10pm - Nightglow