Overview

• Organizers expect roughly 900,000 people over nine days as the 2025 fiesta opens Saturday with a mass ascension at Balloon Fiesta Park.
• Police will deploy tactical units, SWAT, K‑9s and expanded horse‑mounted teams, with undercover officers patrolling hotels and major attractions at all hours.
• All attendees must pass through metal detectors, and firearms and other weapons are prohibited inside Balloon Fiesta Park.
• Balloon Fiesta Park now features a high‑speed fiber optic loop, 46 new vendor power pedestals and the first permanent restrooms near the Sid Cutter Pilots’ Pavilion.
• A planned Kirtland Air Force Base flyover is canceled due to the government shutdown, and the FAA says it remains available to support the event.