For the first time in Nepal, 17 hot air balloons from 15 countries, including Nepal, will fly at the BYD International Balloon Festival in Pokhara from December 9 to 17. Balloon Nepal Pvt Ltd, the only company operating hot air balloons in Nepal, is going to organize the festival in collaboration with Pokhara Tourism Council.

The preparations for the balloon festival have reached the final stage. In Pokhara-24, the festival will be held in a three kilometer area from Lauruk to Chankhpur. Hot Air  

balloons will be launched. During the regular flight, it will reach above 9000 feet, but during the festival period, it will reach only 5000 feet. Flight time is 30 to 40 minutes. During the flight, one can view Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri Himal, Pokhara Valley, Phewa Lake, sunrise and sunset. 

With the aim of promoting tourism through adventure sports, the festival was organized on the occasion of Christmas and English New Year, said Taranath Pahari, coordinator of the festival and chairman of Pokhara Tourism Council.

According to him, pilots from America, Britain, Spain, Lithuania, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Netherlands, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Brazil and Australia will participate in the festival along with Nepal. Pilots from outside Nepal will come to Pokhara with their own balloons. 17 balloons including 15 from abroad and 2 operated by Balloon Nepal Pvt Ltd in Pokhara will be flown throughout the festival period. 

"Some pilots have already started," Pahari said at a press conference held in Pokhara on Saturday, "This festival will help make Pokhara a destination for adventure sports." From 6 pm to 6 pm, balloon pilots representing different countries will fly hot air balloons. 'Balloon Night Glow' will be held from 7 to 8 pm. A free shuttle bus has been arranged from Dihikopatan to reach the festival site. The

festival will also have musical performances, food stalls, fairs and various games every day. Artists Deepak Bajracharya, Raju Lama, Elina Chauhan, Kuma Sagar, Kavita Nepali, Katun Cruz will perform at the festival. The organizer has informed that there will also be musical performances by local artists and bands including belly dancing.  The

festival will feature performances by various bands from December 9 to 11 and balloon flights and various cultural activities from December 12 to 16. The program will conclude with a musical performance by artist Kumar Sagar on 17th of January, i.e. English New Year. On that day night there will also be fireworks and DJ music in balloons. Coordinator Pahari said that there are no other stalls with different food dishes in the festival. Kathmandu's Kumari dance and Bajrayogini dance will also be performed at the festival. On the occasion of the opening of

, a tableau with costumes of different tribes from Bhakunde of Pame region will be displayed on December 9. Balloon Nepal Pvt Ltd has been operating hot air balloons commercially since 2018 in Pokhara. Actors Rajesh Hamal and Priyanka Karki are the brand ambassadors of the

festival. Feva Club is the local coordinator of the festival. Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Province, Ministry of Industry and Tourism Gandaki Province are the promoters of the festival, which is mainly sponsored by BYD, the electric vehicle manufacturing company. Chrismatic Entertainment is the main event manager of the festival. 

Bikram Wade, Chairman of Balun Nepal Pvt. Ltd., said that he chose Pokhara for the festival because of its picturesque scenery, favorable weather, easy access to transportation and adequate tourist infrastructure.

'Balloon Festival helps in promoting Pokhara and Nepal's tourism at the international level,' he said, 'The aim of the festival is to bring Nepal's culture to the world and to establish Nepal in the field of hot air balloons.' He narrated. He says that he is preparing to produce balloon pilots in Nepal as it is difficult to bring pilots from abroad. 

Balloon festival will play a role as an additional attraction for the tourists who come to the road festival in the lakeside in the English New Year, said Savin Maharjan, the owner of Balloon Nepal. "Millions of people participate in such festivals in America, Britain and Thailand," he said, "the festival will play a role in bringing in domestic and foreign tourists." . 

The Civil Aviation Authority has issued a 'notam' to ban the activities of air flights other than balloons in the skies over Phewa Lake during the festival period. Yogendra Kunwar, manager of Pokhara International Airport, said that paragliding, ultralight, and helicopter flights will be suspended in the balloon flying area during the festival period. "We have created a risk free zone from the point of view of air safety," he said. 

Bishnu Bahadur Dhakal, the owner of Balun Nepal Pvt. He mentioned that measures have been taken to make the festival physically and technically safe. Pomnarayan Shrestha, the former chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, claims that the Balloon Festival is an opportunity to introduce Pokhara to the world.