Bristol International Balloon Fiesta has announced there will be no shuttle bus service serving next month’s event. Organisers say it’s due to a shortage of bus drivers.
The Fiesta team is recommending other transport routes to the event, including walking along Festival Way, which leads directly into the city centre where buses and trains can be easily accessed. This a 40-minute walk from Bristol City Centre to Ashton Court Estate where the event is held.
Ashton Court will also have bike parking and cycling is encouraged along dedicated cycle routes to the event site. Visitors are also reminded that the Suspension Bridge will also be closed from 6pm on Thursday and Saturday evening.
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For the first time, for pedestrian safety and to help with traffic flow, the A370 will be closed in both directions from Winterstoke Road to the South Bristol Link Road on Thursday and Saturday night after the nightglow finishes at 10pm until midnight.
Fiesta operations director Ben Hardy said: “We have worked hard over the last few months to look for alternatives to the Fiesta’s shuttle bus service but all viable options have been exhausted. Having tried to find a workable solution in partnership with all the main operators in the area, the lack of bus drivers means that we are unable to provide this travel option.
“We realise this will be difficult news for many who rely on the service, and we are therefore extending the current lower tier pricing for Fiesta parking until July 31 to enable those who would like to use a car instead to do so at the cheaper rate.”
Parking for the Fiesta can only be purchased in advance, and prices start at £16 + booking fee for the Red Car Park and £22.50 + booking fee for the Blue Car Park (prices vary slightly per day and time) until the end of July, when the price will rise to the final tier pricing.
Ben says: “The roads around the fiesta site are strictly no parking to reduce the impact on local residents and to allow emergency vehicle access around the local area and to the event, so we urge visitors to book car parking in advance.”
A number of local bus services will have increased capacity, dropping visitors within the local vicinity, with a ten-minute walk into the event site. Parking tickets are available to purchase from the Fiesta website.
The 44th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta will see Europe’s largest annual ballooning event back at its home in Ashton Court. Attracting visitors from all over the world to witness one of the most stunning sights in the UK, mass balloon ascents will take place at 6am and 6pm alongside two iconic nightglows at 9pm on Thursday 11th and Saturday 13th, lighting up the night sky.
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