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GuideThe 53rd ExxonMobil Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is scheduled for October 4-12, 2025
Event Information
The countdown for the 2025 ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is underway! Mark your calendars now to attend the event, scheduled to occur October 4-12, 2025! Media application process will open on March 31, 2025.
The 53rd Balloon Fiesta will fill Albuquerque's crystal blue skies as pilots navigate and float over Balloon Fiesta Park and the Rio Grande. The Balloon Fiesta is the world's largest and premier international ballooning event. It is powered by the typically perfect October climate and a phenomenon called the "Albuquerque Box," (a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, the box allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure). The Albuquerque Box is great for spectators and pilots, providing the potential for hot air balloon teams to take off and land from the same location.
The place to be in October 2025 is at Balloon Fiesta Park. The 360-acre park includes 100 acres of grass and booths that will be filled with balloons and concessions. During the 2024 event, Balloon Fiesta launched 551 hot air balloons representing 16 countries. Along main street, guests enjoyed 80 food and merchandise vendors. It's been said that the breakfast burrito, the perfect grab-and-go meal for our pilots, gained its global prominence at Balloon Fiesta.
While we put the finishing touches on the 2025 Media Guide (launched April 15th), below you will find a link to our 2024 Media Guide.
2024 Media Guide
Media Registration
Media registration for the 53rd event is open until September 4, 2025. Registration link below.
Media credentials will be provided to qualifying media (see below). The credentials package includes a parking pass and admission to the event. It also includes access to the media hospitality area, work center (with power strips) and a media photography tower positioned in the media hospitality area. Credentialed media also have an opportunity to sign up for hot air balloon rides from Balloon Fiesta Park with our media pilots, during the event.
Media updates will be provided from media@balloonfiesta.com. If you have questions or credential requests, please reach out to our media team at media@balloonfiesta.com.
Qualifying Media Information
Balloon Fiesta welcomes and works with members of the media from all media platforms including broadcast, print, photography and digital media. To qualify for media credentials, you must be a member of the media (traditional and/or digital), meaning the work you produce at Balloon Fiesta must be developed to be shared with a larger audience, on a qualifying media platform.
Reporters, producers, videographers, and photographers applying for media credentials as “traditional media” (broadcast and print) will need to provide credentials from the organization or a letter of assignment from a manager of the media assigning the work (i.e., editor, publisher, news director) that can be verified. The material produced must be scheduled for broadcast/print within a year of the 2025 Balloon Fiesta. If it is a longer-term project (long format documentaries, motion pictures, audio/video series), please include additional information as an attachment to your letter of assignment. If your project requires a larger crew (three or more), additional planning or assistance from our media team, heavy equipment, etc., please complete the application and contact our team directly to plan accordingly at media@balloonfiesta.com. Media applying for credentials may also upload a PDF document (as a part of the media application) describing how the work will be used; our team will review each request.
Media that have previously received credentials will need to submit a sample of the Balloon Fiesta coverage secured (2018-2024) as a result of being credentialed media at Balloon Fiesta. This will need to be submitted as a PDF as a part of the application process.
If your sole purpose for seeking media credentials is to build a portfolio, stock images, "spec" or for sale/resale you can still attend the event, just not with a media credential.
Applying for credentials is not an approval, it is just an application, our team will review each request and provide rolling approvals on a monthly basis.
If you have questions about the 2025 application process and/or event, please email our media team via media@balloonfiesta.com
Social Media Influencer Criteria
Professionals seeking media credentials as a social media influencer (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) will need to include public and verified social media accounts for the Balloon Fiesta media team to review. Below is the criterion:
- Followers of at least 5,000 on the qualifying platform
- An average engagement rate of 2% or higher
- Post at least four (4) times each month to the respective social media platform
- Must have an aviation, travel, or event theme
- Must be 18 years or older
Blogger/Newsletter Criteria
Media credential applications for "Bloggers" (can be written, verbal, or visual content) and newsletter editors are eligible to apply for media credentials. The Balloon Fiesta team will review the application with an eyes for travel, event related themes and consistency in posting. Below is the criterion:
- Unique website visitors of 5,000 each month
- Must post at least monthly
- Must have at least 500 followers / subscribers
- Must have relatable themes connected to Balloon Fiesta and/or events, travel/tourism
- Must be 18 years or older
Media Access
Since the first Balloon Fiesta in 1972, media representing over 50 nations have covered this newsworthy event. With traditional and digital coverage reaching an audience of over 1.7 billion, media outlets covering Balloon Fiesta have included live broadcasts and cable programs (broadcasting on the field and in flight) as well as long-format documentaries and motion pictures. The event provides a live stream of the launch field, information on how to access the feed will be provided in the media guide as the event approaches. If your organization has its own satellite truck, cell phone pack, or backpack unit, we ask you to work with our team to determine the best field location to not interrupt launch operations or the guest experience. We have Wi-Fi and mobile coverage that can accommodate most live shots.
Balloon Fiesta Photo Requests
If you represent a media organization that would like to publish an official Balloon Fiesta image to accompany a story (or calendar listing) about the event, please click the “Photo Use Requests” button below and fill out the form.
#BalloonFiesta on Social Media
The Balloon Fiesta regularly generates billions of impressions on digital and traditional media. One of the ways we convene our community is by using #BalloonFiesta on our various platforms.
The official hashtag of the event is #BalloonFiesta. Connect with us on the following social networks for event updates:
Media Updates
To receive updated information, register for email updates by providing your email address to media@balloonfiesta.com.
Of course if you have any questions, you can always feel free to email media@balloonfiesta.com or call (505) 898-8689.
