Hot Air Balloon
People walking among hot air balloons on the launch field as dozens more fill the sky at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Before You Fly

Dispatches on where balloons are flying and when: festival calendars, month-by-month conditions in each destination, and the practical detail that decides whether a morning gets off the ground.

Umbria Balloon Festival 2026: night glows and how to fly

Umbria Balloon Festival 2026: night glows and how to fly

The first Umbria Balloon Festival runs from April to September 2026 across fourteen towns, with night glows at Castiglione del Lago, Todi and Terni. What that means for a traveller who wants to be in a basket rather than watching from the square.

Portrait of Chiara Bertelli, who writes about ballooning in Tuscany Chiara Bertelli 5 min read