Dancing balloons will light up the night at Strathaven festival

A Scottish town gets a glow up this weekend with the spectacle of 25 hot air balloons dancing in the night.

Giant inflatables will light up Lanarkshire at the 25th Strathaven Balloon Festival.

More than 40,000 visitors are expected at the free event, which was cancelled in 2024 after high winds from Hurricane Ernesto hit the UK.

The “Saturday night glow” will see teams of pilots fire their burners in time to music, making the balloons appear to dance in the darkness.

The festival will also bring live music, stalls, a funfair and a classic car exhibition to the town.

Festival secretary Les Hoggan says: “Seeing them take off and flying over the town and every single time we fly people just love it.

“It’s just a unique way of travelling.”

Strathaven residents launched the event in 1999 as a boost for local businesses.

It began with five balloons from Scots-born pioneer Don Cameron, who has made hot air balloons for over 50 years in Bristol.

The first festival drew 1,000 people and it has grown from strength to strength.

Don, now in his 80s, will be flying again this year with one of the pilots.

A balloon from the Netherlands will also take part alongside pilots from the hot air balloon community in Scotland.

Landings always honour a ballooning tradition, where the farmer who owns the field is given a bottle of whisky by way of thanks.

Giant specially-shaped inflatables are also blown up and tethered to the ground.

“It’s great for the local community because it’s very much a family event, run by volunteers,” says Les.

“We’ve progressed from five balloons to 25 plus a few special shapes coming this year, it’s now a music festival as well as a balloon festival.”

The organising committee spends 11 months raising up to £40,000 to put the festival together.

And even if you don’t have a head for heights, the balloons are a sight to behold.

Les says he has taken about 12 flights since the first time he entered a basket, when he was nervous and hoped it would be too windy to fly.

“The next minute, I’m 100 feet above the trees and I just loved it, it was absolutely fantastic,” he says.

The festival runs until Sunday.