07/08/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/19RLbJgVR1/?mibextid=wwXIfr
🚨The Clifton Suspension Bridge will be closed this weekend at points 🚨
Every year the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta attracts hundreds of thousands of event goers from Bristol and beyond to bask in the spectacle of mass ascents, Night Glows, immersive attractions, demonstrations, displays, and more - completely free.
A staple of the summer calendar, this Bristol event is so popular that for fear of overcrowding, one famous landmark is closed to both pedestrians and traffic at certain times - the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This is to prevent dangerous structural stress from massive crowds and to ensure public safety during the event.
This year, the Clifton Suspension Bridge will be closed between 6pm and midnight on the Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, during the evening mass ascents and Night Glows.
Official event organisers, and National Highways, say that there are various road closures and diversions in place around Ashton Court Estate during the event, so you'll need to follow the traffic signs, even if you feel you are headed away from your destination. This ensures organisers can keep the traffic moving and get everyone home at the end of the day, the fastest way possible.
National Highways has advised that the M5 at junction 19 (Portishead) could be particularly busy during the event as southbound traffic will use the junction to access the A369 and the event site.
The M5 at junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare) will also see increased traffic as northbound traffic uses the A370 to travel to the festival, and traffic will also use the M32 to travel through Bristol to the event.