On 2nd June 2018, Exclusive Ballooning launched the first ever hot air balloon from the foot of the Grand Pier on Weston-super-Mare beach front.
After much collaboration with North Somerset Council, Exclusive Ballooning secured unique permission for a one off flight from the seafront. As the organisers of the Sky Safari Balloon Festival, Exclusive Ballooning also operates the stunning Longleat Lion balloon known as Simbaloo.
Beach goers were delighted to see the giant special shape Lion being inflated on the beach and then launching with the Grand Pier in the background and heading over the promenade and inland.
Drifting over Worle, Simbaloo greeted many surprised locals who were enjoying a BBQ in the Saturday evening sun and then landed safely in Castle Batch Park to the delight of those in the area.
This flight was such a success, Exclusive Ballooning returned to the beach several weeks later and on the Sunday evening of the Weston Air Festival, made further history but launching the first mass ascents from Weston seafront, with six hot air balloons, including two special shape penguins and one lion, floating over the sands.
Following these two hugely successful flights, Exclusive Balloon Events announced Balloons On The Beach which took place in June 2019.
The official press flight launched on the Saturday morning with sixteen hot air balloons flying at sunrise from Weston-super-Mare beach.
This year, we welcomed our headline sponsor Renishaw whose famous G-RENI balloon was the first to launch and lead the pack inland for over an hours flight. Balloons on the Beach is now an official part of the Weston Air Festival, which we kicked off in style.
On the Sunday evening seven hot air balloons lined the Weston-super-Mare beach. This spectacle was greeted by waiting crowds as the giant balloons tethered for their enjoyment.
Renishaw, was the first to inflate, then being joined by the rest of the hot air balloons who all tethered for several hours. Our special shape hot air balloons were also on site, including our brand new Duma the Cheetah, the RICOH imagine.change. cube and Roger the Panther.
There was a fantastic response on social media with pictures and videos of the hot air balloons being shared throughout the evening. Balloons on the Beach featured on BBC News and ITV News on the Saturday evening and live interview with the Pilot of the Renishaw balloon on BBC Radio Bristol.
We have continued to monitor the current Covid-19 global pandemic as well as advice set out by the UK government. Due to the restrictions in place Balloons on the Beach has been postponed until 2021.
This is the largest mass ascent of hot air balloons to launch from any beach in the UK and plans are now already underway for the 2021 Balloons on the Beach!