British National Hot Air Balloon Championships to take place in Bristol for first time

One of the most iconic events in ballooning is set to take place in Bristol for the first time. 

The British National Hot Air Balloon Championships will see around 15 teams of balloonists take flight twice daily from the evening of August 6 to the morning of August 11, flying over the city and surrounding area.  

The event also known as the Nationals will coincide with the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, which takes place over three days from August 9 to 11 this year.

For every competition flight, each team will be tasked with completing a series of set challenges. 

This includes a ‘donut’ where the pilot has to fly the greatest distance staying within a predefined airspace and an ‘elbow’ where they attempt to make a 180-degree turn using the winds.    

In the mornings of the fiesta at Ashton Court, competing teams will be set the challenge of dropping physical markers into the main event arena. 

Visitors will have the chance of witnessing the unique site of balloons flying low, directly into the event site, dropping their markers and flying on again.

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Ben Hardy, executive director of Balloon International Balloon Fiesta said: “We’re of course delighted to welcome the British National Hot Air Balloon Championships to the Fiesta and to the world capital of hot air ballooning, Bristol.  

“The Fiesta is a celebration of the city’s rich balloon history and the love so many have for the sport.

"To provide the opportunity to show some of the most exciting and captivating action ballooning has to offer is an incredible addition to the programme.

"Alongside our new community launches, Fiesta Week promises to be an awe-inspiring occasion for everyone in the city to enjoy."

The competition is open to teams from across the world, with the British winner of the Nationals picked to fly for Team GB Ballooning and compete in the World Championships. 

Stephanie Hemmings, BBAC Competitions Club chairman, added: “We’re very excited to host this year’s National Championships for the first time ever in Bristol alongside the Fiesta.

“It will be a new challenge to fly over the city and will undoubtedly show the high levels of skill from teams both from the UK and across the world.

"We can’t wait to kick things off in August.”

The balloon fiesta has been shortened from four to three days this year due to costs, with a series of community launches set to be held across the week of the event.