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Over the years, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta has blessed us with an abundance of weird and wonderful special shape hot air balloons. There has been an impressively sized Scottish piper, football trophy and motorbike, all trying to squeeze into the arena at Ashton Court.

Action Man is another firm favourite (he used to leave a trail of orange smoke behind him), Sainsbury's fruit was photographed floating atop the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and there have been characters such as Bertie Bassett, the Michelin Man, the Churchill dog, a massive Babybel and even Rupert the Bear. Scenes of such special shapes filling the skies over the city has been nothing short of mesmerising.

And, this year, some of our favourites are making a return to the fiesta, in addition to some shaped balloons that are making their festival debut. Here's a balloon spotter's guide to some of the shapes you might be able to spot this year...

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The BBC Globe

Visitors to the fiesta may very well recognise this balloon from the BBC One idents back in the late 90's. And it will be making its first appearance in public after 20 years in storage.

It used to be a regular at the fiesta, with BBC presenters and other celebrities often broadcasting live from the basket of the orange balloon. The idents made their first appearance on our screens in October 1997 and continued to be the 'face' of BBC One until March 2002 when they were replaced with a new identity.

During that time, the balloon itself made select appearances at major events and festivals, finally being retired and left in the care of a balloon preservation group for posterity. Over the next 20 years many things changed and in that time the balloon reportedly moved from various storage facilities, effectively becoming ‘lost’, until it was discovered among a number of other retirees in early 2023, which were donated to a dedicated group of preservationists called 'The Bristol Balloon Collectors'.

Lloyds TSB

Bristol based Lloyds Bank have had a long association with hot air ballooning, dating back to 1988, when they commissioned their first two balloons with the then Airship and Balloon Company in Telfordy, as a means of offering VIP guest flights at summer shows and advertising the brand at events like the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. In the late 1990's, Lloyds merged with the old Post Office owned Trustee Savings Bank and a new brand was created.

Two new balloons were commissioned, including their first and only special shape. As the most visible ident for the bank branches in the high street were the signs for the ATM machines, the balloon was designed to be a replica of one of these.

It was flown at major ballooning events and country shows across the UK until 2003. Upon retirement this balloon was donated to a balloon museum, and the special shape has now come under the care of the Bristol Balloon Collectors courtesy of the current owner, well known Bristol pilot Nick Langley.

Astro the Alien

You may remember this special shape from the 2022 fiesta, but did you know Astro the Alien has its own dedicated Facebook group and dance troup?

OHOO Dips!

Taking off from Ashton Court Estate during the pre-launch of the 2023 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (Image: Ellie Kendall)

Some will no doubt remember this classic special shape from the 1980s, which recently made an appearance at a pre-launch event at Ashton Court - Choc Dips! Now rebranded as Ohoo Dips, G-DIPI was built in 1988 by Cameron Balloons and operated by Virgin Airship & Balloon Company alongside this Thunder & Colt 17A hopper.

More recently, G-DIPI was brought back to the 2012 Bristol Balloon Fiesta where it flew during three mass launches in a row alongside other special shapes, including Babybel and Action Man. It’s back this year to tether in the arena.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Bristol Balloon Collectors will bring the huge Thomas The Tank Engine balloon to tether in the arena this year. Built by Bristol’s own Cameron balloons, it first flew in 1998.

G-BXND appeared at the Fiesta in its debut year and will return 25 years later at Ashton Court Estate.

Piggy Bank

Another balloon from the Bristol Balloon collectors, the Colt Piggy Bank was first flown in 1995 and was donated to Bristol from the Netherlands by Jan Vermeulen. Adding to the incredible line-up of special shapes appearing at the Fiesta, this will be the G-BWBV Piggy Banks’s first ever appearance in Bristol, so definitely one to add to any spotters checklist.

Daisy the Cow

The new Daisy balloon was built by Cameron Balloons in Bristol during lockdown, to bring a smile to the face. Last year was her first fiesta and due to popular demand she'll return this year.

Daisy is a cloud hopper which means that instead of a basket, a solo pilot sits in a harness or small seat with the fuel behind them. The most peaceful way to fly, watch out for Daisy this weekend.

Snow White

Snow White was built by Cameron Balloons in 1993 and stands at an incredible 47 metres tall. The balloon is no longer airworthy but still in excellent condition for static displays during tether slots at events, if winds are nice and light.

Slick the Dragon

Another more recent visitors might remember is this dragon hot air balloon, which graced skies in Bristol from 2010 to 2015. Operated by Lindstrand and a firm favourite amongst many, this balloon was introduced to the public next to the London Mayor's office.

Spanning 61ft in height, this hot air balloon also features a giant pallet on the dragon's back, to represent it’s original owner, Palletways Group, who used it to promote its national and European distribution services. The interior space of the balloon could accommodate 1,450 full size pallet loads.