France’s New Balloon Festival Collapses After One Year

A new hot-air balloon festival in France, EnEnvol, has announced it will not return in 2026 after debuting this summer as the successor to the long-running Grand Est Mondial Air Ballons (Gemab).

Despite drawing an impressive 250,000 to 300,000 visitors and launching more than 200 balloons across the Lorraine sky, organizers say the event is simply not financially sustainable.

Free public entry, limited backing from local authorities, and the heavy costs of running such a large-scale festival made continuation impossible.

EnEnvol hoped to fill the void left after Gemab ended in 2023—an iconic event that once attracted half a million spectators every year—but disputes, high expenses, and insufficient support ultimately forced organizers to step back.