Vietnam’s largest hot-air balloon steals the show in Ca Mau

The 2026 Ca Mau Hot-Air Balloon Festival is being held at Hung Vuong Square in Bac Lieu Ward, featuring 34 colorful balloons representing Vietnam’s 34 provinces and cities.

The event, themed “Ca Mau joins the nation in soaring into a new era,” is part of the province’s first Cultural Heritage Day and Hot-Air Balloon Festival, organized to celebrate Vietnam’s National Day on September 2.

The festival’s centerpiece is Vietnam’s largest tourism hot-air balloon, according to local authorities.

Standing about 28 meters high and measuring 22 meters in diameter, the balloon has a lifting capacity of 1.2-1.5 tonnes and can carry 10-12 people per ride.

Three large class 7-8 balloons are tethered at heights of 40-50 meters for 90-120 minutes per session, while 16 smaller class 1 balloons hover at 20-30 meters as part of the aerial display.

Tethered rides on the class 7 balloons, lasting three to five minutes and reaching up to 50 meters, have proved particularly popular with visitors.

Nguyen Tran Minh Thu, a resident of Vinh Loi Commune, said she was thrilled to experience a hot-air balloon ride for the first time in her hometown.

Another local visitor, Ngo Nguyen Bao Tram, said she was impressed by the scale of the festival, which has drawn tourists from hundreds of kilometers away.

The colorful spectacle has also attracted digital content creators promoting Ca Mau’s culture and tourism on social media.

Hot-air balloon activities run from August 29 to 31, with sessions from 6:00 to 9:00 am and again from 4:30 pm each day.

Local authorities expect the festival to help diversify tourism offerings in Vietnam’s southernmost province.