Festival International de Ballons
Winter ballooning in Château-d’Œx, with the next festival announced for 23–31 January 2027.
The balloons take off from a mountain village in the Swiss Pays-d’Enhaut. Snow, steep slopes and short winter days give Château-d’Œx a different setting from the summer gatherings held on large city parks. The organiser has announced nine festival days for January 2027; the detailed programme still needs to be checked as the event approaches.
Watching the launches and taking a passenger flight are separate choices. Book a flight through the organiser and allow room in your itinerary for a weather cancellation. The festival’s report for 2026 records flying on seven of nine days, a useful reminder that a festival pass cannot guarantee a launch.
Payments on the festival site become cashless in 2027. The organiser lists cards, TWINT and a payment wristband, which can also be loaded with cash. Its downloadable 2026 programme is an archive, so do not use those session times to plan a 2027 visit. Espace Ballon provides a separate, year-round introduction to the village’s ballooning history.
Sources and photograph
Editorial review: 9 November 2026. Source 1
Archive photograph of Festival International de Ballons. It does not show the line-up for a forthcoming edition. Photograph by Christian David. CC BY-SA 4.0. Responsive versions may be cropped and resized.