Hot air balloons at different stages of inflation on a balloon fiesta launch field under blue skies

United Kingdom

UK Balloon Fiestas

Ballooning Over the Fiesta — will the balloons fly, and where might the wind take them?

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Nexus Fiesta • United Kingdom

2027 UK balloon fiesta calendar

Browse the 2027 event calendar below. Launch windows will be added when organisers publish them.

Will the balloons fly? And where might they go?
Nexus Fiesta brings a simple launch outlook and likely drift direction together for visitors — without replacing the organiser’s final flight decision.

See live international events ↗ Add or discuss your 2027 event ↗ See the Bristol case study ↗

Want to look back? Open the 2027 UK event calendar ↓

Next on the UK Fiesta calendar

Loading next UK event…

Checking calendar

Checking the 2027 UK balloon-event calendar…

●Automatic handover: Nexus Fiesta is choosing the next relevant UK event.

2026 prediction record

55 correct calls from 56 launch sessions

A 98.2% accuracy record across all 56 Nexus Fiesta launch sessions assessed in the 2026 season. Forecasts are published before the launch window; official launch decisions remain with event organisers and pilots.

98.2%2026 season accuracy

What does Nexus Fiesta do?

At a balloon event, visitors tend to ask two very simple questions: are they likely to fly, and if they do, where might they go? Nexus Fiesta turns our own ballooning tools into one clear public answer.

Works to the event timetable

Scheduled flight slots and changeovers are automated around the event programme, so the page always moves on to the next relevant flight.

Gives a simple flight outlook

Visitors see a clear public status such as Good chance or Flying possible. The official launch decision always remains with the event organisers and pilots.

Shows where balloons may go

Forecast winds at 500 ft, 1,000 ft and 2,000 ft are turned into an easy-to-read flight cone, with the 1,000 ft line giving visitors a useful reference direction.

Nexus Aero Direction Predictor example showing a balloon drift cone from Ashton Court with 500 ft, 1,000 ft and 2,000 ft altitude checkpoints and a red 1,000 ft reference path — An example of the public direction predictor: the forecast flight cone uses winds at 500 ft, 1,000 ft and 2,000 ft, with the red line showing the 1,000 ft reference track.

Hot air balloons on the launch field at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Bristol 2026 • First live trial

A real-world question became a live visitor service in about 15 minutes.

We hadn’t planned a Fiesta product. Visitors asked a question on the launch field, and we realised the Nexus software we already use for ballooning could answer it for them.

Example public outlook Good chance

If balloons fly, where might they go?

Likely drift towards the north-north-east.

9,580Fiesta pageviews

76,173supporting social views

24Klargest single update

The useful information came first. The social-media reach followed because people wanted the answer.

Read the Bristol case study

For Fiesta visitors

Selected balloon event

Fiesta session

Next scheduled session

Forecast at launch time

Temperature— Cloud cover— Wind—

Current Fiesta outlook

Loading live forecast…

Checking the latest forecast for this balloon session.

Selected Fiesta location

Selected event dates

What is the flight outlook?

If balloons fly, where might they go?

Calculating likely drift direction…

Live forecast refresh in progress

Live drift outlook Loading the 500 ft, 1,000 ft and 2,000 ft flight cone for the next scheduled mass ascent.

Unofficial Nexus Aero live forecast outlook only. Conditions can change quickly. Launch decisions remain with the event flight operations team.