Balloon Glow Canberra, 2018

The Balloon Spectacular is one of Canberra’s biggest annual events, and this year it also featured the Enlighten Festival and Balloon Glow; a nighttime fire display, which uses grounded balloons and was held on the 9th March.

Balloon Glow lit up the lawns of Old Parliament House and was surrounded by bustling food stalls and busy bars filled with people. There was a unique gelato station, serving from the inside of a limousine, and many families gathering to view the show. Commercial balloon pilot, Dave Roberts, said Balloon Spectacular and Balloon Glow are fantastic and that every one is a little bit different.

At Balloon Glow, two hot air balloons were inflated in a roped-off area in the middle of the lawns at around 8pm. People crowded around, snapping photos, pressing close to the action. As the balloons inflated, they wavered, until held steady. Behind the balloons, there was music, and then fire was sprayed out of the balloons to the beat and rhythm of the nearby tune. Some of the crowd sung along while others stood, mouths agape, in awe of the spectacle and others supported small children who had already fallen asleep.

Old Parliament House was alight in the background, with “75 Years of Women in Parliament” written on the wall, as the show took place a day after International Women’s Day.

After the fire display, three performers took to a stage shining with purple and white lights. Families crowded close to take photos, feeling the vibrations of the music as it pumped from the speakers.