40TH INTERNATIONAL HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
About This Project
January 27 – February 4, 2018
Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut, Switzerland
Details
This European Alpine balloon festival sees Switzerland take centre stage, bringing hundreds of variously shaped balloons together in the Vaudois Alpine skies. Now in its 40th year, there are hot air balloon rides, parachute shows, a kids’ day and a number of spectacular events such as Night Glow’s sound and light show.
The Swiss hot air balloon capital, Château-d’Oex in the Vaudois Alps plays host to hundreds of hot air balloons in January of each year. This colourful 9-day festival includes a night-time show, hot air balloon rides and kids’ day. The Château-d’Oex International Hot Air Balloon Festival brings together pilots from some twenty different countries, with nearly a hundred hot air balloons taking advantage of the exceptional climate of the Alps in winter. Created in 1979, the festival attracts crowds of people over two weekends, with hot air balloons in special shapes, air displays and model hot air balloons. Wednesday afternoon is as always dedicated to children; captive balloon flights and the grand balloon release are guaranteed to create delight on hundreds of little faces! The link between Château-d’Oex and hot air balloons is a historical one. It was from here in 1999 that the Breitling Orbiter – piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones – set off for the first tour of the world in a hot air balloon. Visitors can learn about the story of this mad adventure at the Château-d’Oex hot air balloon museum.
Night Glow
Absoutely unique in its kind in the Alpine environment, the sound and light night show ‘Night Glow’ is a special highlight of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival. About twenty hot air balloons, paraglider pilots, Swiss Ski School members together with firework technicians light up the Château-d’Oex night for a performance that deeply impresses the spectators. In order to fully enjoy this light show visitors can position themselves on Temple Hill and at the southern end of the football ground.
The Night Glow will be the 2nd of February 2018 at 6:58 PM
Video
Location
