Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 8 Aug 2025

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
8 Aug 2026International Infinity Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Towering trees of Tuscany
Why are blackbirds tied to winter?
5 Jul 2025Pride in London
Big Bends birthday bash
13 Mar 2024Lake Magadi, Kenya
Paranormal activity?
4 Sep 2025Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
Beautiful Borovets
20 May 2025World Bee Day
26 May 2024Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington, USA
28 Jun 2024Stonewall uprising anniversary
So good, they built it twice
28 Jan 2024Channel Country, Australia
3 Dec 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA
2 Jun 2025Skipper butterfly on an Echinacea flower
24 Jun 2026Pollinator Week
9 Aug 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Why is this cliffside ablaze?
19 Jul 2024A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
6 Apr 2024Japan Castle Day
16 Feb 2026Jorvik Viking Festival
An old bridge in a new light
29 Feb 2024Leap Day
18 Aug 2024The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
23 Apr 2026Saint Georges Day
A one-of-a-kind splash
17 Aug 2024International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
24 May 2024European Day of Parks
Come on, guys, this way!
27 Nov 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium