Overview
- Eighteen balloons departed from the Hyderabad Golf Club near Golconda Fort on January 16, marking the festival’s opening morning flights.
- Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao inaugurated the event and completed a roughly 1.5-hour flight covering about 13 kilometres to the outskirts of Appajiguda.
- Morning free-flying rides carried roughly 40 to 50 people, consisting mainly of media representatives with a few social media influencers.
- Evening sessions at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad are set to offer tethered ascents with 10 to 15 balloons, accommodating about 130 to 133 visitors who booked online.
- Tickets are reported at Rs 2,000 plus GST for the public, as officials position the festival to bolster adventure tourism and elevate Telangana’s profile.