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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a hot air balloon! This July, the London sky is set to be filled with 50 colourful flying balloons as the Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta returns to the capital for the first time since 2019. Well, hopefully.
The regatta can only take place if the weather is good enough and if you’ve looked up at the sky this month, you’ll know that it has been far from it. So far, the balloons have failed to have lift off on two separate occasions.
Organisers initially earmarked Sunday July 7 for the event, but heavy wind and rain put a dampener on those plans. The event was rescheduled for Sunday July 21 but once again, poor weather conditions stopped it in its tracks.
The next attempt is now happening on Sunday July 28 – and you can find out all about it, from the best viewing spots to the odds of it actually happening, here.
Hot Air Balloon Regatta was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, and it had to be called off because of bad weather in 2022 and 2023. It’s safe to say the balloons are itching to be taken out of retirement and sent into London’s skies.
What’s all this for, you might be wondering? The hot air balloon extravaganza is to raise awareness about the Lord Mayor’s Appeal – a charity initiative that has raised more than £250,000 since 2015.
If all, eventually, goes according to plan, the balloons will soar past landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. It’s sure to be a sight to behold, so here’s hoping it'll actually happen in 2024.
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