# Nomad · Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival: sources Row #45 of `experiences_v1.csv` (research pass 3 Oct 2026, IST). Dates and deadlines come from `cal.py` (date check 4 Oct 2026, IST), which is the source of truth for dates, with the 4 Oct 2026 source-rule audit applied. The page deliberately shows **no prices** and no contact emails; see the official site. | Fact used | Source | |---|---| | Name, place (Tamil Nadu (2026: Jallikattu Grounds, Coimbatore; the venue changes between editions), India), continent | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | Usual timing: January | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | What you build / use: WATCH a hot-air balloon show: balloons from several countries, display and tethering, with a shopping expo, food court and music | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | How a traveller takes part: Buy an entry pass for the carnival (children under 12 enter free); balloons are displayed or tethered at dusk when the weather allows; there is no free flight, and tethered rides are limited and cannot be pre-booked | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | Participation level: Watch & buy local | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | Entry requirements / deadline: Spectator festival: an entry pass is needed for adults; balloon display and rides depend on weather and the pilot's decision | https://tnibf.com/ (primary) · (secondary) | | Verification note (research pass): Dates, venue and visitor rules from the organiser's site (tnibf.com), which says the 2026 festival was organised with the support of the Department of Tourism, Tamil Nadu (checked 26 Oct 2026). No 2027 dates are published yet; earlier editions were also held in January. Kinetic's list gave the same 15-18 Jan 2026 dates. | experiences_v1.csv | | Date: 15–18 Jan 2026: Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival 2026, 11th edition (past). Organiser: 15-18 Jan 2026, Jallikattu Grounds, L&T Bypass Road, Coimbatore. No 2027 dates yet. Build/use: Watch hot-air balloons displayed or tethered at dusk, with a shopping expo and food court. How to join: Buy an entry pass; children under 12 enter free; rides are limited and weather-dependent. | https://tnibf.com/ | | Date: Jan 2027 · date TBC: Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival 2027 (dates not announced; held in January in recent years). 2027 dates not announced. Earlier editions were in January (2026: 15-18 Jan). | https://tnibf.com/ | | Take-part route "Watch the balloons and browse the carnival" (Watch & buy local): Hot-air balloons from several countries are displayed or tethered at dusk, in a carnival with a shopping expo, food court, kids' games and music. It is a spectator show: there is no take-off, and limited tethered rides depend on the weather. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above | | Check note: The 2027 dates and venue are not announced yet. The 2026 festival was the 11th edition, 15-18 Jan, at the Jallikattu Grounds, Coimbatore. | CSV verification notes / dated items above | | Check note: Children under 12 enter free; adults need an entry pass. Balloon display and tethered rides depend on the weather and the pilot's decision, and rides cannot be pre-booked. | CSV verification notes / dated items above | | Check note: The organiser's site says the 2026 festival was organised with the support of the Department of Tourism, Tamil Nadu. | CSV verification notes / dated items above | | Sister-site link (our own site, not a source for dates): Sport context, safety and where to learn: Kinetic on recreational flying | https://kinetic.curiosta.com/recreational-flying/ | ## Skills you'll need (section 03) | Fact used | Source | |---|---| | Skills (this experience): Reading a balloon-festival programme: carnival hours, the balloon display and weather-dependent tethered rides; Planning a spectator trip around an entry pass, a show window and a weather margin | Skills research, checked 2026-10-26 (IST) | | Difficulty (our estimate): Beginner (spectator); prep time (our estimate): 30 minutes of reading. Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures. | Curiosta editorial estimate | | Refresher, practice and safety steps: It is a spectator festival: balloons from several countries are displayed or tethered, with a shopping expo, food court, kids' games and music. / The balloon show and tethered rides depend on the weather; the organiser says rides cannot be pre-booked and are limited. / Children under 12 enter free; adults need an entry pass from the organiser's site. / The 2027 edition is not announced: earlier editions were held in January, and the 2026 edition (11th) was 15-18 Jan in Coimbatore. / Read the organiser's page for the venue, carnival timing and the visitor rules before you travel. / Plan to arrive in the afternoon: the balloon show is in the early evening. / Keep a spare day if you want a second chance at a weather-dependent show. / Follow the organiser's staff around balloons and tethering areas. / Balloon display and rides can be cancelled for weather: do not rely on a single evening. / Check the organiser's page for the latest visitor rules before you travel. | Our summary of the resources below | | Resource (Official; publisher: Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival (organiser)): Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival: Dates, venue, carnival and balloon-show timings, tickets and visitor rules for the latest edition. | https://tnibf.com/ | | Resource (Official; publisher: Tamil Nadu Tourism Department (official government site)): Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu Tourism): Official state guide to Coimbatore, the 2026 host city: what to see and how to plan a trip around the festival. | https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/destinations/coimbatore | ## Check notes shown on the page - The 2027 dates and venue are not announced yet. The 2026 festival was the 11th edition, 15-18 Jan, at the Jallikattu Grounds, Coimbatore. - Children under 12 enter free; adults need an entry pass. Balloon display and tethered rides depend on the weather and the pilot's decision, and rides cannot be pre-booked. - The organiser's site says the 2026 festival was organised with the support of the Department of Tourism, Tamil Nadu. ## Our grouping - Levels shown: Watch & buy local (our grouping of the CSV participation level "Watch & buy local"). - Usual months used by the month filter: Jan.