Montgolfiades de Marmande
Marmande hosted the French balloon championship on 10–16 August 2026, with competition teams and separate passenger balloons.
The organiser described a field of 75 balloons for 2026: 50 in competition and 25 fiesta balloons for passenger and partner flights. Keeping those groups separate helps explain why watching a task and booking a flight are different arrangements.
Competition briefings were planned for early morning and evening, with flying decided by the flight director. The detailed schedule belongs to the 2026 championship. It should not be reused as a daily programme for an unannounced future edition.
For passenger opportunities, contact the local organiser and confirm availability, the meeting point and cancellation terms. A past flight product remaining visible in an online shop does not establish a new festival date. No 2027 gathering was confirmed during this review. The cover photograph shows a building in Marmande and provides town context rather than depicting the championship field.
Sources and photograph
Editorial review: 9 November 2026. Source 1
The Maison du Prince Noir in Marmande. Host-town context photograph, not the championship launch field. Photograph by Benjamin Smith. CC BY-SA 4.0. Responsive versions may be cropped and resized.