Hot air balloons light up Longleat in 75th anniversary festival

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A fleet of colourful hot air balloons swayed to music from across eight decades to mark 75 years of Longleat being open to the public.

Ten balloons, some shaped like coffee jars and dragons, used their burners to light up the grounds of the Wiltshire stately home in time to music on Thursday evening.

The “night glow” event was part of Longleat’s first Icons of the Sky festival, which also features a pyrotechnic air display and a fireworks display.

Visitors should be able to witness a mass assent of the hot air balloons twice a day, but it was cancelled on Thursday due to poor weather conditions.

The night glows have been choreographed to a specially-selected soundtrack, with music from Glenn Miller through to Taylor Swift.

It also includes the Rolling Stones, who played the estate in 1964, and Sir Elton John, who appeared in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Safari Park opening.

The festival runs until Sunday.

The 6th Marquess of Bath opened Longleat House as a tourist attraction on April 1 1949 and is now the home of the 8th Marquess and his family.