A flight to seventh heaven!
For the first time, Marmande will welcome 13 at 18 August 2023The 49rd French Hot Air Balloon Championship. An annual competition, it will bring together the best French drivers in France. 65 balloons with 5 days of activities and competition. There will be tens of thousands of you joining us, so we'll tell you everything about this event...
🌈 What is the program of FREE activities for the GENERAL PUBLIC at the Plaine de la Filhole! ✨
👉 Saturday, August 12 : “blue and white” evening with catering and southwest bands >> from 19 p.m.
👉 Monday August 14 : catering and musical entertainment with Voodoo Child >> from 19 p.m. – At nightfall, a majestic spectacle in perspective with the nighttime inflation of fiesta balloons in the official village of the French hot air balloon championship – NIGHT-TIME SWELLING HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOLLOWING AN ORANGE ALERT FROM METEO FRANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE EVENING
👉 Tuesday August 15 : aeromodelling workshop >> from 15 p.m. and presence of PILATUS aircraft from the Cognac air base
👉 Wednesday, August 16 : tribute to Sarah BERNHARDT >> from 16 p.m.
👉 Thursday, August 17 : – Country producers' market and musical entertainment with Mélodie Cambou from 19 p.m. – Nighttime inflation of the hot air balloons will take place at nightfall.
👉 Friday, August 18 : flights only in the morning and awards ceremony
Test the Segway!
The Mobilboard team will be present in the Championship village (Plaine de la Filhole) Thursday August 17 from 16 p.m. to 21 p.m. to introduce you to Segway!
A cool experience to try!
Nighttime inflation of Fiesta balloons
Meet on Thursday, August 17 at dusk, at the championship village (Plaine de la Filhole) for a breathtaking nighttime spectacle 😉
How does the hot air balloon sports competition take place?
6 days and 4 events for 32 hot air balloons! The locations of the events are not revealed to the general public and it is during the morning or evening events that you will be able to see the competitors in the sky of the Val de Garonne, within a radius of 25 kilometers around Marmande.
- Precision tests : Crews must place a marker as close as possible to a target marked on the ground.
- Speed tests : Participants must place their markers in the geographically spaced marking zones as quickly as possible.
- Handling tests : Pilots manage the distance traveled as accurately as possible and must pass over a reference point while assessing the terrain and weather conditions as best as possible.
- Distance events : The pilots' objective is to produce geometric figures which are calculated using the pilots' GPS tracker.
At what times can you see hot air balloons in the sky?
- The first flight flights called “FIESTAS” will take place in the morning, from August 13 at 7 a.m. and 18 p.m. on the quattre-mattes site in the Filhole plain. 25 balloons will take off every day in the Filhole plain. Depending on weather conditions, the schedule and direction of flights will be determined on a day-to-day basis. You can follow the briefs before takeoffs of FIESTAS flights on the FACEBOOK page > Marmande Hot Air Balloons 2023.
Among the hot air balloons present, 50 balloons will compete and 25 balloons, called “Fiesta”, will be used for first flights.
Where are the take-off locations for “FIESTAS” flights?
SPECIAL OFFER for accommodation during the French championship!
Ibis Budget Marmande offers you a special discount for the French hot air balloon championship. To enjoy an unforgettable event in Lot-et-Garonne, don't forget to contact our partner on 05 53 93 54 89 and benefit from a 10% DISCOUNT on the daily rate. Just give PROMO code: MONTGOLF23 and it's done!
Many prizes to be won in the official village of the French hot air balloon championship!
It will be open every day from 14pm from August 12, 2023 with numerous stands including that of the Department of Lot-et-Garonne, the town of Marmande, the Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne tourist offices, ARD radio and the official store of the championships France (polo shirts, caps, etc.). On the stand of the Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne Tourist Offices, you can play every day to win free entries to many tourist sites in the west of Lot-et-Garonne. The teams of the Tourist Offices of Hillsides and Landes of Gascony, Duras and Country of Lauzun will be present on this occasion.
On the stand of Tourist offices Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne, you will be able to win numerous prizes every day with several entries to fast sites. A quiz will be offered and 3 prizes will be drawn every evening at 20 p.m. The lots will be collected from the Val de Garonne Tourist Office – 11, rue Toupinerie in Marmande from the following daynot. One more opportunity to enjoy all the activities in the area!
Lots from our partners
Find out by clicking on this link, gifts offered by our partners in Pays Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne.
- Val de Garonne partners who offer prizes during the French hot air balloon championship.
- The partners of the Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne destination who offer prizes during the French hot air balloon championship.
- Other partners of the Val de Garonne Guyenne Gascogne destination are participating in the operation: Mobilboard in Agen, L'Oisonnière in Bourgougnague, the Hostellerie des Ducs and Maison Guinguet in Duras, the Garobulles soap factory in Labastide-Castel-Amouroux, the country storytellers, the Pure Aquitaine soap factory and Terre Acacia waxworks of Lauzun, the Moncassin Castle in Leyritz-Moncassin, the cellar of the knight of Pardaillan and Saut-du-Loup ranch & farm in Miramont-de-Guyenne, The Planet Owl in Moustier, Good Turn Cycles of Eymet (Dordogne).
Meet Clément Seigeot, 2022 French champion
For the pleasure of viewing from the ground or to try the experience in the air, go to Marmande from August 13!
If you are looking for an activity to keep you busy during the 2023 French Hot Air Balloon Championship in Marmande, do not hesitate to consult our space dedicated to activities that you can purchase directly on our website:
