Promoted by the Publibalão company, with the collaboration of the Alentejo sem Fronteiras - Clube de Balonismo (Alentejo without Borders - Ballooning Club), the 21st edition of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival will run until 12 November in the council areas of Alter do Chão, Fronteira, Monforte and Ponte de Sor, in the eastern district of Portalegre.

"In terms of weather, next week is expected to be good and to have weak winds, which will make it possible to carry out the vast majority of flights," one of the festival's organisers, Anibal Soares said.


This year, the event will be attended by 33 teams, from Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Luxembourg.
The event will offer visitors tethered balloon flights, in which balloons are tied to the ground by a rope, as well as standard balloon trips.
Soares said that this years' festival will include a wedding aboard a hot air balloon.


And there will also be two sessions of "Night Glow" in Alter do Chão and Ponte de So, which use hot air balloons will use their burners for a night-time light display.