Balloons Event Show Tunisia - a hot air balloon festival in the desert

Writer: Helena Bergström

The Balloons Event Show Tunisia is a hot air balloon festival that aims to highlight the southern regions of Tunisia. The festival was organised for the first time this year and for more than a week, balloons could be seen rising over the island of Djerba and in the desert near Douz and Tozeur.

Balloons Event Show Tunisia 2025

Balloons Event Show Tunisia 2025 was held between 24 October and 1 November 2025. The festival was inaugurated on the island of Djerba and then moved to the desert cities of Douz and Tozeur. For the event, several teams of balloonists (and paragliders!) travelled to southern Tunisia from countries such as Spain and France. We visited the festival on a press trip organised by the Tunisian Tourist Office.

The balloons would rise into the sky - weather permitting - every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset. The festival would also include 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 really know what happened with that.

As a visitor, you could primarily enjoy the shows and the beautiful views. There were some opportunities to go up in a hot air balloon, but as the baskets were small, these opportunities were limited. Regardless, the festival offered some great views... and some of our group had a real adventure... !

Djerba - the start of the hot air balloon festival

The balloon festival was inaugurated on the island of Djerba, and as soon as we got there we rushed to the balloon site. We were greeted by a delightful sight, with large balloons inflating and shining brightly against the darkening sky. However, the balloons did not take off this evening, and we did not really understand if it was due to weather or something else. But we had more opportunities ahead of us!

In conjunction with the Balloons Event Show Tunisia 2025, B2B events were also organised at a large Casino. As press, we were invited to listen to a number of presentations, where different actors told us about 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 saw a few balloons, which did not even take off, the experience in Douz something completely different. When we arrived at the big arena, where camel or horse races are usually held, the area was filled with both hot air balloons and motorised paragliders, and it didn't take long for the various craft to start rising into the sky.

As press, there was a small chance to go up in a hot air balloon, but only a small one because the baskets were so small that usually only one extra person, in addition to the team, could fit. Two people in our group, Christian from Sweden and Anna-Katri from Finland, each got a seat in a basket and took to the sky, while the rest of us had to be content with taking photos and filming.

Darkness came quickly and the pilots struggled to see roads in a landscape that seemed to consist of nothing but desert and desert. They simply had to land - in the middle of nowhere.

Our friends texted us from the pitch-black desert, sending their geo-positions. But how would we reach them in a place where there were no roads? We drove as close as we could and our driver made an attempt to reach them on foot, through the impenetrable darkness.

He had to give up his attempt, and in the meantime quad bikes were sent out into the sand. About an hour and a half later, our friends were picked up and returned to our minibus. An adventure they will never forget...!

Tozeur - ending at the Star Wars filming location

Balloons Event Show Tunisia ended in Tozeur, located in the far west in the southern part of Tunisia. Just outside the city is ”Ong Jemel”, a location where scenes for ”Star Wars Episode I” and ”Star Wars Episode II” were filmed. Find out more about all Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia here!

The place is really cool in itself, and when accompanied by sunset, hot air balloons and motorised paragliders, it created an almost magical atmosphere.

Also think four-wheel drive cars doing off-road driving in the sand, camels strolling through the space-inspired village and vendors trying to hawk Darth Vader fridge magnets.

The balloons took off this evening, but didn't fly far, offering only a brief colourful display before softly landing on the other side of the Star Wars village, while the paragliders showed off their most spectacular tricks.

Film from Balloons Event Show Tunisia

Here you can see a film from the Balloons Event Show Tunisia, edited by Peter.

What else can you see and do in southern Tunisia?

The Hot Air Balloon Festival was organised for the first time this year, and whether it will become a regular event remains to be seen. Regardless, there is much more to see and experience in this region. We can highly recommend the island Djerba for sun, swimming, spas and cool street art, the city of Douz for desert adventures on dromedaries and quad bikes, and the area in and around Tozeur for cosy medinas, lovely oases and Star Wars nostalgia.