Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to our Frequently Asked Questions. If your query isn't here, send us a message.

See our individual event pages for daily timings.

e-tickets are issued to the email that is provided at the time of booking.

Parking is available onsite but must be booked in advance. This cannot be paid for on the day.

No seating, however you are welcome to bring your own camping chairs and picnic blankets.

Toilets are available at all events including disabled toilets and urinals.

On the day bookings can be taken on site at our box office or purchased online if there is any availability.

You cannot bring your own food and drink into the festival (unless for medical requirements and you have this confirmed). However, we have fully stocked bars and range of street food vendors on site. Bar and the food vendors will be taking both cash and card payments and using challenge 25, so please bring ID.

Re-admittance is allowed up to 7pm.

On arrival, please have your tickets ready to show on your phone or printed off.

Yes. We are currently receiving applications for Local Craft Traders, Local Hot Food Traders and Local Cold Food Traders (Not Alcohol, Ice Cream or Hot Drinks). Please read and complete our Trader Application Form here.

Buy tickets for any of our venues via the BOOK buttons on this Website.

We are committed to providing an enjoyable and safe experience when you visit Balloons and Beats Festival. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. If you have a complaint, please email us. We aim to respond to all complaints within 21 days from receiving them. We will not pass your details on to any other organisation.

Cash and card are both accepted.

No. This is a weekend festival with no camping.

Smoking/vaping is permitted in the open air but please be respectful to other festival goers.

The SkySafari® Night Glow will be lighting up the skies, just after sunset.
In addition, balloons will be scheduled to tether in the afternoons and with dedicated Meet and Greets, there will be a chance to ask one of our pilots all your questions.
Please visit the specific information for each event to confirm the exact schedule.

Whilst flying is not part of the night glow show, if the weather is suitable, other balloons may come to join us for a launch but as these cannot be guaranteed, they should not be factored into your decision to attend.

Ballooning is wholly weather dependent activity.
Hot air balloons are typically seen flying in the morning and evening because these times offer the most stable and favourable weather conditions for safe and controlled flights. During the middle of the day, the sun heats the ground, creating strong thermal updrafts and turbulent air currents. These conditions make it difficult to control the balloon's altitude and direction, posing safety risks. In contrast, mornings and evenings have cooler, calmer air with less wind and turbulence, allowing for calmer and more predictable flights. Additionally, the temperature difference between the air inside the balloon and the surrounding atmosphere is more manageable during these times, making it easier to maintain lift. For these reasons, hot air balloons fly during the early and late hours of the day.

A night glow is a stunning event where hot air balloons light up the night sky like giant lanterns. The balloons stay on the ground (tethered) while their burners are fired in rhythm to music, making them glow brightly against the dark. It’s like a synchronized light show, where the balloons pulsein time with the music, creating a magical and colourful display. The pilots work together to choreograph the flames, so the balloons seem to "dance" to the beat. Night glows give spectators a breathtaking experience without the balloons actually flying.

If the weather is unsuitable to inflate the balloons for a full night glow show, a secondary option can be a basket glow.
This is where the balloon baskets are setup and proceed with a choreographed routine to a musical soundtrack and the balloon burners produce flames of up to 10ft high!
This continues to be a spectacular show for all the family.

The SkySafari® Hot Air Balloon Night Glow stands apart from other night glow events due to its bespoke musical soundtrack and meticulous balloon choreography. The precision of the choreography, with burners firing in perfect sync to the music, will truly captivate you and makes it feel like a fully orchestrated performance.
Our SkySafari® animal balloons are the focus of the night glow, allowing guests to see a range of special shapes, which will not be seen elsewhere.

Tethering a hot air balloon means securing it down to the ground with strong ropes. This keeps the balloon from flying away but still allows it to be inflated in place. It’s like holding onto a kite so it doesn’t fly off, but the balloon stays upright and buoyant.
It’s a safe way to let people experience the spectacle of a balloon without taking a full flight. The ropes are securely anchored to heavy objects or vehicles to make sure the balloon is safely secured on the ground.

We will provide updates throughout the event day, primarily on social media.
The first updates will likely be early afternoon, and we will aim to provide additional updates leading up to the scheduled activity times.

Our SkySafari® includes a range of special shape animals, including three penguins, a panther and a peacock! We will update social media closer to the specific event dates to confirm what animals will be appearing at each location.

On occasions, if the weather conditions are marginal, it might be that only half the balloons will be able to inflate for the night glow. This is due to additional support being needed from the ground teams to safely inflate a small number of balloons. Therefore, teams will combine to ensure that some balloons can inflate, and the glow can proceed.

Hot air balloons rely on specific weather conditions to safely inflate and fly. If the weather is not suitable, they may not be able to inflate properly or safely take off. Here are some examples of conditions where this might happen:
1. Strong Winds: If it's too windy, the balloon could be difficult to control, making it dangerous to inflate.
2. Rain: Wet conditions mean the balloon cannot inflate. Plus, rain can severely damage the balloon’s fabric.
3. Hot Temperatures: In hot temperatures, thermals are created when the ground heats up and causes the air to rise. When you're trying to inflate a hot air balloon, the balloon needs a stable, controlled environment to fill with hot air and lift off.
But in thermic conditions, the air is moving around a lot due to the rising heat. This makes it harder to control the temperature inside the balloon and get it to stay properly inflated. So, in thermic weather, the turbulence and unstable air make it much more difficult to inflate and control the balloon safely.
4. Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are dangerous because of strong winds, lightning, and unpredictable weather. These conditions meanthat hot air balloons cannot operate.
The balloon teams will make every effort to achieve as much activity as possible, however safety will always be our primary concern.
Please note that refunds cannot be issued in the event of limited or no ballooning activity.

Only assistance dogs are allowed on site.

Feel free to get in touch via email.

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