Bristol’s long-running International Balloon Fiesta is seeking corporate sponsors from the city’s business community as its organisers commit to becoming more financially sustainable amid soaring costs.
The not-for-profit organisation behind the annual free-to-attend event, which injects millions of pounds into the local economy every August and has become synonymous with the city itself, announced this week that it will be reduced from four to three days when it returns this August.
That is expected to reduce the costs of staging the event, now in its 46th year, from around £1.1m last year closer to £830,000.
However, that will still lead to a shortfall in the region of £100,000.
Spiralling costs in areas such as hiring equipment and staffing – around 360 staff work onsite at Ashton Court during the fiesta – pushed up costs from £735,000 in 2019.
Poor weather, the pandemic and inflation have also added to the financial pressures.
The event organisers have vowed to trim costs in its supply chain by using more local suppliers while also seeking more sponsorship from Bristol businesses, as well as national and international companies.
They have also pledged to keep the event free for visitors as part of their commitment to make it more inclusive.
Around a third of the fiesta’s income comes from car parking charges at Ashton Court – which range from £12.50 to £30 depending on the day – with a third from commercial fees to businesses and a third from sponsorship.
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta executive director Ben Hardy said there were now four key elements to securing its future – making it financially self-sufficient, engaging with everyone in the city, creating excitement and being progressive, including being as environmentally sustainable as possible.
All waste generated during the event is already recycled, he said.
An economic impact survey carried out last year confirmed the event as the city’s most valuable outdoor event – boosting Bristol’s economy by £22.2m a year.
Visit West, the destination marketing organisation behind Visit Bristol, said £14.7m of this was new expenditure that would not have come to the city without the event taking place.
For each £1 spent staging the event, £143 enters the city’s coffers in areas such as hotel accommodation and hospitality. The fiesta also generates large amounts of international media coverage – with images of balloons drifting in clear skies over Clifton Suspension Bridge shown around the world.
Visit West estimates such coverage as worth around £2m, with its head of commercial and industry engagement Dan Mills saying: “The fiesta has become an annual pilgrimage for thousands of people. For people from outside Bristol, hot air balloons are as synonymous with Bristol as Banksy and Aardman.
“It’s no surprise that those images of balloons in the skies over Bristol are used by national tourist organisations to promote the whole of the UK.”
While the 2024 event will take place over three days – from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August – the two popular night glows will still go ahead, with Thursday’s switched to Friday, which has traditionally been the worst attended evening of the fiesta. Saturday’s night glow will take place as usual.
Organisers have also announced an extension of the event away from Ashton Court. Between Monday 5 and Thursday 8 August, a fleet of balloons will pop up in local communities across the city in a series of local launches.
The new format will also allow organisers to reimagine the event, refocusing on what makes it so special as a celebration of Bristol and its heritage links hot air ballooning.
Organisers said they will be announcing more new features over the fiesta over the coming months.
