Furious families have slammed the Wales Balloon Festival in Carmarthen as a 'shambles', with many claiming the event failed to deliver on its promises. The festival, held at Nantyci Showground from June 28 to 30, charged up to £40 per person for entry, plus a £10 parking fee.
Attendees complained that hot air balloons, the main attraction, were absent on Friday and Saturday evenings due to weather conditions. While balloons did fly on Saturday afternoon, the night glow show was cancelled. Some visitors left without seeing any balloons at all.
Traffic chaos added to the frustration, with reports of two to five-hour delays to reach the site. Organisers blamed a sat-nav error but assured smoother flow on Sunday. Other advertised attractions, such as wrestling, were axed, while monster truck displays were limited, with rides costing an extra £12.
Many felt the event was overpriced for what was essentially a fairground and food stalls. Caren Ahern said: 'It was nothing like advertised. We couldn't see the monster trucks through the dust, and the car park was a nightmare for prams and wheelchairs.' Allison Hatton added: 'It's unfair to take so much entry money just to enter a fairground.'
Organisers had stated that balloon flights were weather-dependent, but disgruntled visitors argued that communication about schedules was poor. Cara Thomas said: 'A balloon festival with no balloons – £32 to see fairground rides and food stalls. What a let down.'
