Balloons Over Waikato

04/06/2026

It’s all fun and games until someone realises the burner doubles as a donut warmer.
Happy National Donut Day 🍩

03/06/2026

Today’s forecast: low winds and maximum big cat energy.

Over the years, we have welcomed some pretty impressive feline visitors to the skies, including giant Tiger, Lulu the Leopard and Simba special shape balloons.

Happy Hug Your Cat Day from the Balloons Over Waikato crew

24/05/2026

This is a fantastic opportunity to get up close and learn more about the sport of ballooning thanks to the Waikato Hot Air Balloon Club.

The club will be down at Innes Common on Saturday for a relaxed morning. A great chance to meet balloonists, ask questions, explore crewing or getting involved, and see a balloon up close outside of festival season.

Be sure to follow the Waikato Hot Air Balloon Club post for any weather updates or postponements.

Ever wanted to see a hot air balloon up close, chat with the people behind it, or learn a bit more about how ballooning works?

Before winter sets in, the Waikato Hot Air Balloon Club will be down at Innes Common with the club balloon for a relaxed morning of tethering and ballooning activity. It’s a great chance to come down, have a look around, ask questions, meet local balloonists, and experience the atmosphere of ballooning from ground level.

Where: Innes Common
When: Saturday 30th May from 7:00am onwards (Look for our WHABC Club Trailer & Club Balloon - Pictured)

This event is weather permitting, with the following weekend as a backup date if needed. Please keep an eye on this post for any weather cancellations or updates.

Whether you’ve always been curious about hot air balloons or just want to see one up close, everyone is welcome to come along and say hello.

03/05/2026

May the 4th be with you.

Did you know we hosted Darth Vader back in 2019? Safe to say… the Force was strong that year.

01/05/2026

08/04/2026

From early morning flying at Innes Common to Balloons Visit South Waikato, The Base Basket Burn, ZURU Nightglow and Love the Centre Walk-Thru Balloon, thank you for being part of Balloons Over Waikato 2026.

We’d really value your feedback from any event you attended across the festival. Your insights help us understand what worked well and where we can improve for future years.

Please take a few moments to complete our survey here:

03/04/2026

Please help us celebrate 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 2026 winner of our 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅.

John is the ultimate behind-the-scenes legend. No matter who needs support, a quick fix, or a hand packing down, he is already there making it happen. While others are still chatting with the crowd (𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑡 😉), John is often halfway through packing the balloon away before anyone even turns around.

For the past two years, while his pilot has been tied up at ZURU Nightglow, John has quietly stepped in to make sure their teams balloon sponsor is looked after.

This award celebrates the people who truly represent the spirit of our festival, and John does exactly that ❤️ Thank you for everything you do for Balloons Over Waikato. We are so lucky to have you in the whānau.

02/04/2026

A huge shoutout to Brad Burdue and the Prickly Pete team for taking out our 2026 Best Balloomin Team award! 👏

The attitude from this crew was absolutely outstanding. Operating a special shape balloon with a small team is no easy job, but they took it all in their stride, communicated brilliantly, and got stuck in to do their best.

This is the kind of teamwork and can-do spirit that helps make Balloons Over Waikato so special. Huge congratulations team, and thank you!

We’d also love to acknowledge Daymark, proud sponsor of Prickly Pete, whose support helped this iconic character light up our festival skies.