Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 8 Aug 2025

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Every August, the skies over Bristol get a colourful makeover, and no, it"s not just the weather playing tricks. It"s the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, where hundreds of hot air balloons rise with the sun. This annual event, which began in 1979 with a modest 27 balloons, has grown into one of Europe"s largest ballooning fiestas. Held at Ashton Court Estate, the three-day fun now attracts pilots and spectators from across the globe, with skies peppered by balloons shaped like everything from traditional teardrops to flying cows and cartoon characters.

© Ben Birchall/PA Images/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Cheerful colours of a Cornwall classic
A Balearic islet
8 Aug 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

25 Jul 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
27 Feb 2025International Polar Bear Day
4 Oct 2023World Space Week
3 Sep 2025St Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Birthplace of the Renaissance
Go fly a kite!
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
Hiding in the woods
15 Jul 2026Marie Lake, John Muir Wilderness, California, United States
26 Apr 2026Pink apple blossoms, Avila Beach, California, United States
15 Mar 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
29 Jul 2025International Tiger Day
7 Oct 2024World Architecture Day
18 Oct 2023Canary Wharf tube station, London
Celebrating the tropics
A cantilevered window to the past
A salty situation
The envy of postcards and snowglobes
25 Sep 2025Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
1 Oct 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
6 Jan 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
Sociable climbers
Sep 1, 2023National Mushroom Month
28 May 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
22 Apr 2026Earth Day
Bring the king cakes
9 Dec 2024Guanacos, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
2 Feb 2025Alpine marmot
May the 4th be with you
12 Dec 2024Poinsettia or Christmas flower