Wake Up to the Lord Mayor’s Balloon Regatta

Up to 50 hot air balloons will (hopefully) be taking to the skies this summer

Waking up to a sky full of hot air balloons is quite a magical thing and that’s exactly what the plan is with the Lord Mayor’s Balloon Regatta – providing the weather plays ball. The regatta is in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, which focuses on initiatives like promoting inclusive workplaces, empowering young women, reducing the stigma around mental health, and supporting philanthropy amongst City businesses.

But the regatta hasn’t had the easiest time of it; poor conditions put paid to the show for the last three years (2024’s event was called off at the last minute because the weather changed so quickly) and the pandemic forced the balloons to stay grounded in 2020 and 2021, so the last time it actually went ahead was in June 2019, with 46 balloons launching from Battersea Park at 5.30am.

This year we’re hoping for a repeat of 2019, with balloons floating over landmarks like Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Tower Bridge. Quite sensibly, the team has pencilled in three possible dates across May and July for the regatta, with regular updates coming in the days prior to take off, so hopefully the balloons will take to the skies at some point this summer.

Key Information

Dates | Sun 11th May, Sun 20th July and Sun 27th July 2025
For more information | balloonregatta.com

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