Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2023: Bad weather forces temporary closure of arena

Bad weather has forced the temporary closure of Bristol Balloon Fiesta’s main arena.

The closure has been put in place to protect the condition of the ground for balloonists with all other activities continuing as planned.

The Saturday morning ascent was cancelled, as hot air balloons remained grounded at Ashton Court Estate due to strong winds.

It's a blow for attendees and locals who were hoping to see balloons floating over the city of Bristol.

Organisers tweeted: “Due to the current inclement weather, the ballooning arena has been temporarily closed to all activity in order to protect the ground for our balloonists.

"The fairground, Brizzle Kicks stage and all of our amazing food and drinks vendors are still open for you to enjoy.”

The festival is running until Sunday 13 August, with further mass ascents planned for 6pm Saturday night and 6am and 6pm on Sunday.

Organisers are hoping that the planned night glow at 9 pm on Saturday will still be able to go ahead as planned, weather permitting.