The 28th Edition of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival (FIBAQ) will take place from November 8 to 13, 2025, in various regions of Alto Alentejo.

In the 2025 edition, the following activities will be offered:

• Hot Air Balloon Free Flights

• Tethered Flight Experiences

• Night Glow Show

For all those who wish to watch the skies filled with colorful balloons or attend their takeoff and/or the Night Glow show, no registration is required; simply show up on the scheduled day, time, and location according to the FIBAQ program available at www.fibaq.com.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Differences Between Free Flight and Tethered Flight in a Hot Air Balloon

Free Flight

• A free flight in a hot air balloon is the “classic” way to fly in this type of aircraft.

• The balloon is not anchored to the ground and moves according to the wind’s direction and speed.

• It allows you to cover several kilometers, providing a full panoramic experience.

• Access to these flights will be through registration on the automatic booking platform Pulseiras Solidárias

Tethered Flight

• The balloon is anchored to the ground.

• The altitude is limited, allowing only controlled ascents and descents.

• It does not cover significant horizontal distance, making it ideal for those who want to experience flight without leaving the same location.

• It usually only takes a few minutes per climb, making it faster and safer for children.
• Allows you to feel the experience of flying
• Access to these Tethered Flights will be through registration on the automatic booking platform Tethered Flights

2. How can I access a tethered flight experience?

Tethered flight experiences are available through registration, which will soon be open on the [www.fibaq.com](http://www.fibaq.com) website – Tethered Flights section.

3. What do I need to know before registering for a tethered flight experience?

Health Conditions and Fitness for Tethered Flight

Before registering, the participant must ensure that they are not in any of the following conditions:

• Pregnancy;
• Under 6 years old;
• Heart problems;
• Bone problems (such as osteoporosis or similar);
• Epilepsy;
• Serious mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia or similar);
• Having recently undergone invasive treatments (such as chemotherapy or similar);
• Have recently undergone surgery;
• Need to use walking sticks or similar support devices;
• Under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances;
• Reduced mobility.

The organizers and/or pilots have full authority to assess the physical and psychological conditions of participants and may, at any time, decide whether a passenger is fit to safely undertake the flight, including at the time of the activity.

NOTES:

• The organization is not responsible for any situation resulting from the omission of this information.
• Please note that hot air balloon flight is a high-risk activity, dependent on weather conditions and technical factors, and unforeseen events may occur that could result in delays, changes, or incidents.

Registrations for minors must be accompanied by the registration of a responsible adult, who is required to accompany the minor throughout the entire tethered flight.

Both the minor and the accompanying adult must have individual registrations properly submitted and confirmed, as tethered flights for unaccompanied minors are not allowed under any circumstances.

The responsible adult’s information must be fully and correctly completed (First Name, Last Name, Tax ID, Relationship), and the registration may be declined if these conditions are not met.

Donation Amount for Tethered Flight Experiences

Tethered flights have a fixed donation amount of €7.00 per person.

The donation amount goes to support various local associations and institutions.

Weather Conditions

Contrary to what one might think, tethered flights require more specific and stringent weather conditions than free flights, particularly minimal wind, in order to maintain the balloon’s aerodynamics and ensure the safety of all participants.

For this reason, all tethered flights may be canceled at any time, including up to the moment of the flight or during the activity itself, if weather conditions change and no longer ensure the necessary safety for its execution.

Passenger Allocation

Passenger allocation will be carried out in order of arrival at the queue designated for pre-registered tethered flights.
After verification and confirmation of registration, participants will be escorted to the hot air balloon by a member of the organization.

Since tethered flights may be canceled at any time due to weather or other safety-related circumstances, it is possible that not all registered participants will be able to enjoy the experience, even if they have a valid registration.

In such cases, registrations will not be valid for other tethered flights during FIBAQ 2025, and the compensation measures outlined in the “Cancellations Due to Weather and/or Safety Reasons” section will apply.

Behavior and Safety Instructions

After allocation, passengers must remain attentive and fully comply with all instructions given by the pilots and/or their teams and the organization, before, during, and after the tethered flight.

Failure to comply with instructions may result in exclusion from the activity or termination of the tethered flight, without the right to a refund or compensation.

If, at any time, it is determined that a participant is not in full physical, behavioral, or psychological condition to undertake the activity, the organizers or pilots may unilaterally decide to deny participation, which may result in the loss of access to the tethered flight experience and forfeiture of any refund or compensation.

Punctuality and Attendance

The participant must arrive at the meeting point at the time specified in their reservation.

Late arrival may result in the inability to participate in the tethered flight, in which case access to the flight is not guaranteed and no refund of the donation will be provided.

Failure to show up at the designated time and location also results in the forfeiture of the right to the tethered flight and any donation refund.

4. How to Register for a Tethered Flight?

Registration Process – Tethered Flight

When registration for Tethered Flight Experiences opens, participants will have access to the various scheduled tethered flights for FIBAQ 2025. They must select their desired flight and follow these steps:

• Enter First Name and Last Name;

• Filling in the NIF or ID Number (if you are a foreign citizen without a Portuguese NIF);

• Enter email address;

• Enter phone number;

• Provide age (registration of children under 6 years old is not allowed);

• Provide the First and Last Name of the Responsible Adult with a valid tethered flight registration (in the case of registering a minor);
• Provide the Tax ID (NIF) of the Responsible Adult with a valid tethered flight registration (in the case of registering a minor);
• Indicate the Relationship (Mother/Father/Guardian) of the Responsible Adult to the minor (in the case of registering a minor);
• Indication of an emergency telephone contact;

• If you wish to receive a donation invoice, you must enter the corresponding billing information (Name and Tax ID).

After completing the form, you must make the donation payment using the payment methods available on the platform.

After submitting the registration and donation payment, you will receive a reservation confirmation email, in which you must verify your email address.

This validation is mandatory, as only after confirming your email will you be able to receive all communications regarding your tethered flight.

Important Information:

• Registrations for tethered flight experiences are limited to the available spots;

• The only valid way to register is through the official “Tethered Flights” booking platform — reservation requests via email or phone will not be considered valid;

• Registrations must be completed individually, with access to the tethered flight granted exclusively to the passenger whose information is provided in the registration form.

• Registrations for minors must be accompanied by the fully completed information of the Responsible Adult;
• The Responsible Adult must have a valid and confirmed reservation; otherwise, the minor’s registration will be automatically canceled.

• It is not possible to change the personal information provided in the registration at any time (even in cases of data entry errors during registration);

• Only one registration per person is allowed during the event, even for different tethered flights.

If your registration is validated and fully meets all the requirements set out in these Terms & Conditions, the reservation will be confirmed via a confirmation email.

If any of the steps or conditions established are not met, the organization reserves the right to cancel the registration, and it will not be possible to reactivate it at any time.

5. Tethered Flight Cancellations

There are three types of possible cancellations:

• Due to violation of the Terms & Conditions;

• At the participant’s request;

• Due to weather and/or safety reasons.

Due to violation of the Terms & Conditions:

The reservation may be canceled in the following cases:

• If the registration was not completed in accordance with the Terms & Conditions available at www.fibaq.com and accepted at the time of registration, even after the confirmation email has been sent.

In the event of cancellation, the reservation cannot be reactivated. The only way to obtain a new reservation is through a new registration, subject to availability on the booking platform at www.fibaq.com – Tethered Flights.

In the case of a cancellation automatically carried out by the organization due to violation of the established rules, the donation will be refunded, minus a cancellation fee of €2.50. The refund will be processed within a maximum of 10 business days.

Cancellations Requested by the Participant

If you wish to cancel your subscription, you must follow these steps:

• Reply to this email confirming your desire to cancel, allowing other participants to enjoy the experience;

• Request cancellation at least 96 hours prior to the scheduled meeting point time.

In the event of cancellation, the reservation cannot be reactivated. The only way to obtain a new reservation is through a new registration, subject to availability.

In the case of a cancellation requested by the participant, the donation will be refunded, minus a cancellation fee of €2.50. The refund will be processed within a maximum of 10 business days.

If the cancellation request is not made within the established timeframe, the right to a donation refund will be forfeited.

Flights Canceled by the Organization Due to Weather and/or Safety Reasons

If the cancellation is made by the organization due to weather and/or safety reasons, the donation will be refunded, minus a cancellation fee of €2.50. The refund will be processed within a maximum of 10 business days.

“Under the terms of article 17, § 1, paragraph k), of Decree-Law no. 24/2014, of February 14, participation in this activity does not confer the right to free termination, as it involves the provision of leisure services with a previously determined date and duration.”

6. Tethered Flight and Participation Conditions

The tethered flight experience, which guarantees access to the flight, will be carried out exclusively by the passenger whose personal information appears on the passenger list, as provided in the registration form, at the meeting point, on the date and time specified by the FIBAQ 2025 program.

Each passenger ascent lasts approximately 5 minutes.

Participants are required to wear appropriate and comfortable clothing and footwear for the activity.

Registration is personal and non-transferable.

Identification will be requested at the meeting point to verify that it matches the registration details – First Name, Last Name, Tax ID, document validity, and/or any other relevant information.

For minor registrations, identification will be requested at the meeting point for both the minor and the Responsible Adult to verify that it matches the registration details – First Name, Last Name, Tax ID, document validity, and/or any other relevant information.

This registration is not valid for free flights. To participate in that activity, a separate registration is required through the specific registration platform available at www.fibaq.com – Solidarity Bracelets section.

At the meeting point locations, there may occasionally be last-minute available spots. For these situations, the organization maintains a specific queue for participants without prior registration.

If spots become available, participants will be called in order of arrival and boarded onto the hot air balloons.
In these cases, the donation must be made on-site, and it is also necessary to sign the Liability Waiver and Personal Data Protection Notice before boarding.

7. Liability Waiver, Participation Conditions, and Privacy Policy

At the time of registering for Solidarity Wristbands and Tethered Flights, the participant or legal guardian (in the case of minors) agrees to and signs a Liability Waiver, as well as the respective Terms & Conditions and Personal Data Protection Notice, which govern their participation in FIBAQ 2025.

To access the Liability Waiver for participation in tethered flights, click HERE!

To access the Personal Data Protection Notice, click HERE!

8. Insurance and Its Nature

The event has Civil Liability insurance for Operation/Organization of Events.

All aircraft at the event are mandatorily covered by aviation liability insurance, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 785/2004, with the pilots being solely responsible for the technical operation of the aircraft.

9. Issuance of Donation Invoice

Please note that the donation invoice will be issued after the flight, in the name of Alentejo Sem Fronteiras – Clube de Balonismo, using the information provided by the participant at the time of reservation.

If the necessary information for issuing the invoice was not provided, or if it is incorrect, the invoice will be issued as a final consumer.

10. Night Glow Show

No registration is required to attend the Night Glow show, which is open to the public of all ages.

For safety reasons, the public is requested to stay clear of the balloons, ropes, and vehicles used by the organizers, pilots, and teams during the assembly and disassembly of the balloons.

Once the show begins, and while remaining mindful of the equipment, visitors may approach the balloons and enjoy up close this magical moment that lights up the Alentejo sky.

11. Event Organization and Production

Publibalão – Publicidade, Lda., NIPC 503425052, sede na Rua Eng.º Manuel Rocha, 1-B, R/C, 1700-154 Lisboa

Alentejo Sem Fronteiras – Clube de Balonismo, NIPC 509 643 094, sede na Estrada do Ribeiro da Lapa Lote 56, 7460-103 Fronteira – Portalegre