Bristol's "Fiesta Fortnight" to begin on Monday
Balloons will take off from all across the city for two weeks
A replacement event for the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta will officially begin next week (02/08).
The usual Fiesta can't happen because of coronavirus but organisers have planned what they're calling a Fiesta Fornight instead - which will see balloons take off from different locations all around the city for two weeks.
From Monday 2 August to Sunday 15 August 2021, the event will see hundreds of both classical and shaped hot air balloons taking off from multiple locations across the city.
Over 700 nominations were submitted by locals to help pick the locations where the balloons will take off from – they included local parks, public spaces, car parks and streets.
The final list of locations will be published on social media, along with timings so people can plan how to watch.
The event is being sponsored by Costa Coffee, who will visit several of the locations to treat residents with what they are calling "balloon shaped surprises".
Chris Allcock, Chair of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta said: “We were sad that we weren’t able to host the much-loved annual Balloon Festival in Ashton Court this year due to COVID-19.
"However, this special edition of the fiesta is going to be something spectacular for the city and we are so thankful to Costa Coffee for partnering with us to help this happen.
"There were some clear winners and favourite locations for balloons to fly from, highlighted from the hundreds of suggestions from fiesta fans.
"So, we’re hoping to make sure the greatest number of people will be able to enjoy the balloons, including some communities that rarely get balloons overhead.”
A Costa sponsored viewing pod will be positioned in different positions around the city centre throughout the fortnight, offering a special viewing area for passers by.
Nick Orrin, Director of Costa Express UK&I, said: “We are proud to partner with the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta on such a fantastic event.
"After what has been an unprecedented time for many, we wanted to give something exciting to the Bristol community to enjoy."
You can find more information about the fortnight by clicking here.