i 🎄 Festivals & markets
Mondial Air Ballons at Chambley
For more than 30 years, the former Chambley air base hosted the world’s largest gathering of hot-air balloons. The event is currently suspended.
Overview
For more than thirty years, the former Chambley air base in Meurthe-et-Moselle hosted a huge hot-air balloon gathering every two years. Pilots came from all over the world, mass ascents took place at dawn and in the evening, and extravagantly shaped balloons mingled with classic envelopes. The Mondial Air Ballons lasted around ten days at the end of July. In 2017, 456 balloons took off together in a mass ascent, a record equalled in 2019.
Things have changed since then. The 2025 Mondial did not take place. Instead, a new organiser staged a gathering called Enenvol on the same airfield from 25 July to 3 August 2025. It was not repeated: in December 2025, the regional press reported that the 2026 edition had been cancelled, with the organiser judging the event unprofitable. No new dates have been published so far. If you're hoping to see the Lorraine skies fill with balloons, follow official announcements and the local press before planning anything.
Where to do it
In Hagéville (Meurthe-et-Moselle (54)), in Lorraine. Best season: ☀️ Summer.
Good to know
The site once held the world record for a mass ascent: 456 hot-air balloons aloft together in 2017.
Tips
Event suspended: follow the regional press and official announcements before planning a trip.
Location
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons?
No date has been announced so far. The Mondial Air Ballons did not take place in 2025. The Enenvol gathering, held in its place that summer, cancelled its 2026 edition for financial reasons. Follow the Enenvol website and the regional press for any announcement.
What is the hot-air balloon record at Chambley?
In July 2017, 456 hot-air balloons took off in line during a mass ascent, beating the record of 433 balloons set at the same site in 2015. The 2019 edition equalled the figure of 456 without surpassing it.
What time of day do the balloons take off?
Ascents take place early in the morning and late in the day, when the air is calmest. They always depend on the weather: wind can postpone them, as happened with the 2017 record attempt, which was put back twice. So keep your dates flexible if a gathering resumes.
Where is Chambley airfield?
The site, now called Chambley Planet'Air, occupies the former Chambley-Bussières air base in Meurthe-et-Moselle, west of Metz. The organiser Enenvol is based there, in the airfield's control tower, within the municipality of Hagéville.
Information checked in October 2026. Opening hours, prices and conditions may change: check the official website before you travel.
Nearby (within 20 km)
Weekend idea around Hagéville
- 1Mondial Air Ballons at ChambleyStarting point · Hagéville
- 2Lac de MadineMust-do activity · 15 km away
- 3Centre Pompidou-MetzMust-see place · 24 km away
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