Balloons over Waikato 2026: Festival to be an eight-day celebration

Balloons over Waikato 2024. Photo / Mike Scott

The Balloons Over Waikato festival will be bigger and better, the organisers hope, as they extended the event’s programme for next year.

Instead of five days, as in previous years, the 2026 festival will run for eight days, from Saturday, March 21 to Saturday, March 28.

Balloons Over Waikato chairman Steve Gow said the event would be a “regional celebration”.

For the first time, the Zuru Nightglow, which would return to the University of Waikato sports fields, will be opening the event instead of closing it.

“It allows us to start the weekend with a real sense of energy and celebration,” Gow said.

Despite the changes, the event would of course feature early morning hot air balloon launches, regional community visits, The Base Basket Burn, the Love the Centre Walk Thru Balloon and competitive flying, where balloonists will test their skills and precision.

“By reshaping the programme and increasing activities over the weekend, we’re giving people even more opportunities to be part of the experience,” Gow said, adding that his organisation was “incredibly proud” to deliver an event “Waikato continues to embrace”.

A few parts of the festival programme, including the location of the regional community visits, are still to be announced.

Festival programme so far

• The Hamilton City Council Opening Fiesta – Saturday morning, March 21, Innes Common

• Zuru Nightglow – Saturday March 21, University of Waikato

• Morning flights – March 22 to March 26, Innes Common

• Balloons visits (regional event) – March 24, location to be announced

• Balloons visits (regional event) – March 25, location to be announced

• The Base Basket Burn – March 27, Te Awa The Base, Te Rapa

• Love the Centre Walk Thru Balloon – March 28, Garden Place