We do not know of a regular public hot air balloon festival in Marrakech. What you can see is the daily sunrise flight: on busy mornings many balloons from several companies take off from the countryside outside the city at the same time, and the sky looks like a festival. The best place to see it is from a basket, as launch fields are private and the scene happens very early.
If you have searched for a hot air balloon festival Marrakech calendar, you may have seen photos of a sky crowded with balloons and assumed it was a special event. We are a local team who fly here every morning, and we do not know of any regular, public balloon festival in Marrakech with fixed dates, tickets or a programme.
Those photos are almost certainly an ordinary sunrise. On busy mornings, balloons from several companies lift off from the same countryside at about the same time, because every operator flies at dawn when the air is calmest. The result looks like a festival, and it happens on many days of the year.
Why the sky fills with balloons at sunrise
Balloons need calm, cool air, which in Marrakech means the hour around sunrise. Later in the day the ground heats up, the air becomes bumpy and balloons stay on the ground. So every company flies in the same short window, from fields in the same broad area outside the city.
When the wind is light and the sky clear, you may see balloons in front, behind and below you, in every colour, rising one after another as the sun clears the hills. With the High Atlas on the horizon, it is the scene people mistake for a festival.
Marrakech hot air balloon watching: can you see it without flying?
Marrakech hot air balloon watching from the ground is harder than it sounds. The launch fields are private farmland in the countryside, chosen each morning by the wind, so there is no public viewing area and no fixed address to drive to. The whole scene also starts before dawn and is over by mid-morning.
You may catch balloons in the distance if you are already out in the countryside early, but we cannot promise you will see them from the city. For a close view of the inflation and lift-off, you need to be with a flight.
Please do not walk onto farmland to watch a launch. Fields are private and the crew needs clear space around the balloons.
The best seat: a basket
From a basket you see everything a festival would offer and more: the crew inflating balloons in the dark, the burner glow, the lift-off, and then the other balloons all around you as the sun comes up. You also see the countryside from above: villages, olive groves and fields.
Our shared sunrise flight puts you in a large shared basket, each guest with a place at the edge. A private balloon gives your group a basket of its own. Both fly at the same sunrise, among the same sky of balloons.
When are there the most balloons?
There is no published calendar. In general, more balloons fly in the busier travel months and around holidays, and on mornings with good weather. On quiet mornings there may be fewer, and on mornings with strong wind or low cloud, none at all.
If seeing many balloons matters most to you, choose a clear-weather month and fly early in your stay so a weather day can be moved. Our season guide shows what each month looks like.
If you want a festival, how to plan it
Seen this way, the 'festival' is open on most mornings of the year and needs no ticket beyond a normal flight. For ideas on catching the glow, the lift-off and the sky full of balloons on camera, see our photoshoot guide.
- Be sceptical of any 'Marrakech balloon festival' ticket you are offered; ask who organises it
- Treat the daily sunrise as the festival: it happens most mornings
- Fly on your first or second morning, not your last
- Bring a fully charged phone with free memory; the glow and lift-off are the best shots
- Wear warm layers: it is cold before sunrise, especially in winter
- Ask us on WhatsApp the evening before about the forecast
Balloon festivals elsewhere
Real hot air balloon festivals do exist in several countries, usually as yearly events with mass launches and night glows. If a festival is the purpose of your trip, check the official organiser's website for dates. In Marrakech, the sunrise flight is a daily activity rather than an event, which also means you can choose your own date instead of waiting for one.
If we ever learn of a genuine public balloon festival in Marrakech, with a named organiser and real dates, we will say so on this page. Until then, the honest advice is simple: pick a morning that suits your trip, wake up early, and enjoy the sky as it is.
Questions about hot air balloon festival marrakech
Is there a hot air balloon festival in Marrakech every year?
We do not know of a regular, public balloon festival in Marrakech. What visitors see is the normal sunrise flight: on busy mornings many balloons from several companies rise at the same time, which looks like a festival. You can join it on most mornings of the year.
Where can I watch the balloons take off in Marrakech?
There is no public viewing point. Balloons launch from private fields in the countryside outside the city, chosen each morning by the wind, before sunrise. To see the inflation and lift-off up close, the practical way is to book a flight.
Can I see the balloons from my hotel in Marrakech?
We cannot promise it. The balloons fly over the countryside outside the city, not over the medina, so whether you see any depends on where you stay, the wind and the weather. On clear mornings the city can be seen from the balloon in the distance.
How many balloons fly over Marrakech in the morning?
It varies every day with the season, demand and weather. On busy, calm mornings there can be dozens in the sky, from several companies. On windy or cloudy mornings no balloons fly. There is no official daily figure to share.
Is a night glow event possible in Marrakech?
We do not run night glow shows. You do see a glow before every flight, though: before dawn the crew fires the burners into the balloons as they inflate, and they light up against the dark sky. It is one of the best moments of the morning.
Can non-flying friends come to the launch field?
Ask us before booking. The field is chosen in the morning by the wind and space in the vehicles is limited, so we need to know in advance. We will tell you honestly whether it is possible for your date.
