London Balloon Regatta 2023 standby dates confirmed: Event returns after 3 years

The Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta plans to return to the capital’s skies after three years. The last time the hot air balloons in their dozens took to the city’s skyline was in 2019.

As part of the annual ballooning festivities, up to 50 hot air balloons decorate the skies of London in honour of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. The event is organised by aerial marketing company Exclusive Ballooning, who have helped run the event since 2015.

The regatta’s many hot air balloons have been missing from the capital’s skyline for the past three years. The 2020 event was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic, while the following 2021 and 2022 events didn’t go ahead due to bad weather conditions.

This summer will mark the return of the event to the city as the regatta organisers have announced a string of standby dates in which Londoners can hope to see the hot air balloons in the sky.

We break down what The Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta 2023 standby dates are and how you can keep updated on the event.

London Balloon Regatta 2023 standby dates

The Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta organisers, Exclusive Ballooning, have confirmed the annual event is back for 2023 and have promised it to be "bigger and better than before."

For this year’s event, three standby dates have been confirmed, with the actual event day dependent on the weather. The dates are:

• Sunday, May 14 
• Sunday, May 21
• Sunday, July 2 

How to stay updated on the 2023 London Balloon Regatta

As mentioned, ultimately, whether the event will go ahead is dependent on mother nature. Having appropriate weather is necessary so that the event can happen safely.

While Londoners can mark the standby dates in their calendars, they can stay updated on the latest news online. Details on whether the London Balloon Regatta will go ahead will be available closer to the standby dates on the regatta website.

You can also stay up to date via social media through the organiser Exclusive Ballooning’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.