Writer: Helena Bergström
Balloons Event Show Tunisia is a hot air balloon festival that focuses on the southern parts of Tunisia. The festival was organized for the first time this year and for a week you could watch hot air balloons take off over the island of Djerba and in the desert near Douz and Tozeur.
Balloon event show Tunisia 2025
Balloon event show Tunisia 2025 took place between October 24 and November 1, 2025. The festival was inaugurated on the island of Djerba and then moved to the desert cities of Douz and Tozeur. Several teams of balloonists (and paragliders!) had come to the south of Tunisia for the event, from countries such as Spain and France. We visited the festival during a press trip organized by the Tunisian Tourist Board.
The balloons went into the air every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset, weather permitting. The festival also includes music, drone shows and B2B events focused on tourism in the region. However, we didn’t see any music or drones, so we don’t know exactly how that turned out.
As a visitor you could especially enjoy the displays and the beautiful views. There were some options to go up in a hot air balloon, but because the baskets were small, these options were limited. Anyway, the festival offered some very mouth-watering views… and some of our group got to be part of a real adventure…!
Djerba – the beginning of the hot air balloon festival
The hot air balloon festival was inaugurated on Djerba Island and as soon as we arrived there we rushed to the balloon location. We were greeted by a glorious sight as large hot air balloons were inflated and stood out brightly against the darkening sky. However, the balloons did not go up this evening and we didn’t really understand whether this was due to the weather or something else. But we had even more opportunities ahead of us!
In connection with the Balloons Event Show Tunisia 2025, a B2B event was also organized in a large casino. As press, we were invited to listen to a number of presentations, where different actors spoke about the progress and hopes related to the festival and tourism in the southern part of Tunisia.
Douz – hot air balloons over the Sahara
If in Djerba we only got to see a few balloons, which didn’t even take off, the experience in Douz was something completely different. When we arrived at the main arena, where camel or horse racing is usually held, the area was filled with both hot air balloons and motor paragliders, and it wasn’t long before the various craft began to take off into the air.
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As press, there was a small chance of going up in a hot air balloon, but only a small one because the baskets were so small that usually only one extra person, besides the team, could fit in them. Two people in our group, Christian from Sweden and Anna-Katri from Finland, each got a place in a basket and took to the air, while the rest of us had to settle for taking photos and filming.
It grew dark quickly and the pilots had difficulty seeing roads in a landscape that seemed to consist of nothing but desert and more desert. They were simply forced to land – in the middle of nowhere.
Our friends messaged us from the pitch-black desert and forwarded their geopositions. But how could we reach them in a place where there are no roads? We drove as close as we could and our driver attempted to reach them on foot, through the impenetrable darkness.
He had to give up his attempt and in the meantime quads were sent into the sand. About an hour and a half later our friends were picked up and taken back to our minivan. An adventure they won’t soon forget…!
Tozeur – end at the Star Wars location
Balloons Event Show Tunisia ended in Tozeur, located in the far west of Tunisia. Just outside the city is “Ong Jemel”, a place where scenes for “Star Wars Episode I” and “Star Wars Epidosde II” were filmed.
The location is beautiful in itself and in combination with the sunset, hot air balloons and paragliding, an almost magical atmosphere was created.
Also consider four-wheel drive cars off-roading in the sand, camels strolling through the space-inspired village, and vendors trying to sell Darth Vader refrigerator magnets.
The hot air balloons took off tonight, but didn’t fly far. They only put on a brief colorful display before landing softly on the other side of the Star Wars Village as the paragliders showed off their most spectacular feats.
What else can you see and do in southern Tunisia?
The hot air balloon festival was organized for the first time this year and whether it will become a recurring event remains to be seen. Either way, there is much more to see and experience in this region. We can highly recommend the island of Djerba for sun, swimming, spa and wonderful street art, the town of Douz for desert adventures on dromedaries and quad bikes and the area in and around Tozeur for cozy medinas, wonderful oases and Star Wars nostalgia.
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