By KHT Staff. Images via Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau.
KAOHSIUNG — More than 50,000 visits were recorded at the 2026 Kaohsiung Love & Moon Hot Air Balloon Festival (2026高雄愛．月熱氣球) in Tianliao District (田寮區) during the four-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sept. 25 to 28, according to Tourism Bureau figures cited in a Central News Agency report published by United Daily News.
The Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau said advance and on-site ticket sales for tethered balloon rides reached at least 90%. Clear weather allowed all scheduled sessions during the holiday to proceed, the bureau said.
The bureau also said the crowds benefited nearby free-range chicken restaurants and other tourism businesses. The report did not provide sales figures for local businesses.
Additional sessions at Tianliao Moon World (田寮月世界) are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 and 4. The festival will then move to the Love River (愛河) from Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9 to 11, according to the Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau’s official event listing.
The festival features a 28-meter Kaohsiung Bear-shaped balloon and two standard balloons offering tethered rides. The official listing prices rides at NT$500 per person.
Morning flights are planned from about 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., with afternoon sessions from about 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Actual operations depend on weather, wind conditions, and daylight, and the professional flight team makes the final decision at the venue.
Tianliao Moon World is known for its eroded mudstone badlands, which provide the backdrop for the balloon displays and tethered flights.
