Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Brief
For more than 20 years, REM Events has been the official event partner for the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta – Europe's largest and most iconic hot air ballooning event. Held annually at Bristol's Ashton Court, the Fiesta holds a special place in the heart of the Bristol community, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and showcasing the city on a global stage.
As audience expectations, running costs, and wider economic pressures evolved, we created a five-year plan to ensure the Fiesta's lasting legacy and success. The goal was simple: make the event more focused, cost-effective, and accessible to even more people — all while preserving the spirit and spectacle that make the event so loved.
Solution
Following the Covid pandemic, the Fiesta faced a challenging period. Poor weather grounded the festival for a year, while rising costs added further pressure on operations and budgets. As the official event partner, we knew that careful planning and creative thinking would be essential to bring the Fiesta back stronger.
A new strategy
We created a five-year plan to secure the Fiesta's lasting success. This included reshaping the Fiesta from a four-day to a three-day event format. This would need careful planning to streamline operations, building relationships with key stakeholders and amplifying the media profile, both nationally and internationally.
Start early
Delivering an event of this scale requires year-round planning — as soon as one Fiesta concludes, we begin preparing for the next. This allows us to refine logistics, strengthen partnerships, and continuously improve the experience for visitors.
Strengthen stakeholder relationships
Our team manages a complex network of stakeholders, including local authorities, emergency services, sponsors, partners, and the event leadership team. This ensures coordination and clear communication across all areas.
Build robust revenue streams
To maintain financial sustainability, we carefully manage brand partnerships and revenue streams through sponsorships, ticket sales, car parking ticket sales, corporate hospitality and trader applications.
Shout about it
We needed to amplify the Fiesta's profile, placing this iconic event on the national and international stage. The Fiesta is an uplifting experience and a visual spectacle as balloons soar silently through the skies. We needed to showcase this to capture the excitement and imagination of current and future supporters – most of all the public, who attend the Fiesta in their thousands.
Outcome
Our new approach has really paid off. Today, the Bristol Balloon Fiesta is a world-class, free event that continues to be one of the city's biggest highlights. This year alone, we welcomed around 300,000 visitors – with 89% coming specifically for the Fiesta – bring a £22 million boost to the Bristol economy, including £14.7 million in new spending.
Financially, we've made significant progress, reducing the event deficit from £100,000 post-Covid to just £15,000 in a single year. This turnaround has been supported by strong revenue growth and successful brand partnerships, helping to secure the Fiesta's future.
Our media operation is now one of the largest in the country, drawing international coverage and hosting hundreds of journalists each year. The Fiesta featured in top UK news outlets, like BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, Songs of Praise, Newsround, Blue Peter, The One Show, and in every national newspaper. We are also proud to have BBC West as our long-term media partner.
We are also proud of our work with the community. Our Fiesta education programme generates excitement and wonder at local schools in Bristol and our internship programme helps to develop local talent and inspire the next generation of event professionals.
These achievements have not only safeguarded the Fiesta's legacy but strengthened its role at the heart of Bristol's economic and cultural life.
