Regatta Updates

Sadly as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic The 2020 Lord Mayor’s Balloon Regatta® has been posted until 2021.

We had worked with our friends at Wandsworth Council who had been fabulous in their flexibility enabling us to have hope that the event may go ahead. We were confident that we could satisfy the council requirements and needs for social distancing whilst also safeguarding all teams and our own volunteer welfare with automated briefings and new launch site layout procedures.

The Balloon Regatta has become an integral part of the London community calendar, raising over £250,000 for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in just four years. The event also raises the profile of the Appeal, together with the City of London and those connected to it. It is therefore imperative that any event maintains this high standard of professionalism that we, as an award winning event organiser, have become recognised for. Our pilots, crew, volunteers and staff all rely on our good judgement to provide a safe environment for events to take place.

Among the factors for a safe event, we must take into account the length of time that many pilots will have been grounded. If the event had proceeded in July, it may very well be the first time some pilots and their equipment have flown in nine months. It is specifically this safety concern that led us to a very difficult decision which is the most appropriate, professional and responsible action as an organiser, to stand the event down until 2021.

We were confident that all of the participating pilots have sufficient experience to make a safe flight across London, but it simply is not prudent to dispatch a mass launch of balloons over a large city at this time. This is of course a decision which is both difficult and disheartening to make, but we do know that all pilots and their teams will understand.

We would like to thank all of our pilots and crews, our volunteers, our friends at the Appeal, The Mansion House, The City of London Corporation, Wandsworth Council and of course all of our supporting Corporate Partners for their continued support and we look forward to a fabulous Balloon Regatta in 2021.