Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Balloon Festival, the fifth edition, is making a return with over 50 hot air balloons from 21 countries featuring in the 10-day event which will be held from December 12 to 21, 2024, at the southern parking area of the Katara Cultural Village.
The festival, organised by Safe Flight Solutions in collaboration with Visit Qatar and Cultural Village Foundation (Katara), promises to be the most spectacular yet, featuring new attractions and a variety of family-friendly activities.
According to the organisers, the festival highlights include diverse balloon displays, which will feature special-shaped and traditional round balloons from countries including Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and many more, as well as morning flights at sunrise with balloons taking off from various locations each morning, offering breathtaking views at dawn, weather permitting.
There will also be afternoon and evening activities at Katara from 3pm to 10pm daily, which offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy tethered balloon spectacles, nightglow events, laser shows, and more at the festival site located in the southern parking area of Katara.
For the first time in the festival’s history, this year’s event will feature on-site balloon construction, allowing participants to witness the creation of a hot air balloon on festival grounds, culminating in an inflation and test flight, alongside various family activities like kite-building workshops, bouncing castles, carnival games, food kiosks, and merchandise stalls, among others.
There are also community initiatives like subsidized balloon flights with 1,000 tickets available at half price (QR499), bookable via Asfary.com starting today, November 12, until March 31, 2025; and a blood donation drive, being held in partnership with Aster Hospital and Hamad Medical Corporation on December 16 from 3pm to 9pm.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Manager of Festivals & Events Planning at Visit Qatar, said: “Visit Qatar is proud to continue its partnership with the Qatar Balloon Festival for its 5th edition. As a flagship event in Qatar’s calendar, it plays an important role in showcasing Qatar’s unique appeal to both international visitors and the local community, in line with our goals to further establish Qatar as a leading cultural destination.”
For his part, Hassan Al Mousawi, CEO of Safe Flight Solutions, said: “We are excited to bring together a diverse array of hot air balloons from around the world for this year’s festival. Our aim is to create a unique experience that fosters community engagement and promotes Qatar as a premier destination for cultural and family-friendly events.”
Participating countries at the festival include Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA.
Salem Al Marri, Public Relations and Communications Director at Cultural Village Foundation (Katara), commented: “Hosting the Qatar Balloon Festival aligns with Katara’s mission to support cultural diversity and community initiatives. We look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy the vibrant activities and displays.”
Tickets for the 2024 Qatar Balloon Festival are now available on Asfary.com.
