File photo
Kathmandu. The International Hot Air Balloon Festival, which is going to be held for the first time in Nepal, is starting from this December 24 (Pus 9th) in the tourist capital of Pokhara.
Professional balloon companies from 20 countries, including Nepal, will participate in the festival, which will be held at Palme Fant in Pokhara, organized by Bellun Nepal Pvt Ltd. International coordinator of the festival, Robert Wick, informed that the festival, which will be held on the occasion of Christmas and English New Year, will last until January 1, 2025.
The festival will be organized in a three kilometer area from Lauruk to Changkhpur in Pame region. Savin Maharjan, the managing director of the organizing company and the festival coordinator, said that companies in countries such as America, Spain, Lithuania, Thailand, and Vietnam will participate in the festival.
The festival will also have music programs, food stalls, fairs and games every day. According to the organizers, national artists Deepak Bajracharya and Team, Raju Lama and Mongolian Heart, Elina Chauhan, Kuma Sagar and Band and local bands from Pokhara will perform at the festival.
The festival is being managed by Chrismatic Digital Solutions, while Nepal Tourism Board, Non-Resident Nepali Association and Pokhara Tourism Board will promote it. Actor Rajesh Hamal and actress Priyanka Karki are the brand ambassadors of the festival. International coordination of the festival is done by Deepak Shrestha and Robert Wick.
Organizers expect that a new dimension will be added to Pokhara’s tourism through the festival. Balloon Nepal Pvt Ltd participated in the ‘International Balloon Fiesta, 2024’ held in Thailand in February last year.
