Inside a hot air balloon envelope during inflation at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
© Simon Balson/Alam
Full of hot air in Bristol
All eyes will be on the skies in Bristol over the next few days, with Europe's largest annual meeting of hot air balloons taking place at Ashton Court Estate in South West England. Now in its 40th year, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of people and features over 130 colourful balloons of all shapes and sizes. Last year there was a six-metre-high Minion floating through the clouds, while other larger-than-life characters have included Thomas the Tank Engine, Rupert the Bear and Bertie Bassett, who is returning for the 40th anniversary of the festival after a 15-year absence. There will be ‘all sorts’ of balloons to watch out for, then. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)
Related Images
Balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, USA
Hot air balloons above Bristol city centre, England
2021 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England
Red Arrows
Hot air balloons over a golf course during the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Rainbow balloons for Pride Month
Hot air balloon with a smile
Hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Bing Today Images
Joshua Tree National Park, California, United States
Aug 10, 2026
Lioness in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Aug 10, 2025
Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Aug 10, 2024
A lion in Maasai Mara, Kenya
Aug 10, 2023
The Pinnacles on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset
Aug 10, 2021
Huacachina, Ica Region, Peru
Aug 10, 2017
