Cathedral City Hot-Air Balloon Festival

The Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival returns for its 12th annual run November 20-22, 2026, spreading across three distinct venues in the Coachella Valley: the Cathedral City Festival Lawn, the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater, and the grounds of The Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort and Spa.

Presented by Agua Caliente Casinos and operated by SoundSkilz, the festival has grown from a few thousand attendees at its 2015 launch to more than 25,000 visitors each year. That growth earned it a spot on the US News and World Report list of the Top 14 Hot Air Balloon Festivals in the country, along with the Palm Award for Visitor Experience from Visit Greater Palm Springs. Balloon operations are led by Carol Popejoy-Davis, the former Executive Director of the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, who brings more than two decades of large-scale balloon event experience to the Coachella Valley skies.

The three-day schedule follows a reliable rhythm that rewards guests who plan around it. Friday opens with a sunrise balloon launch hosted by Agua Caliente Casinos at the Festival Lawn, followed by a headline concert at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. In 2025, that slot went to multi-platinum recording artist Robin Thicke, with Cathedral City residents offered one free general admission ticket through the Agua Caliente ACE Club. Saturday is the busiest and most photographed day: festival doors open at noon, a full afternoon music lineup builds toward the signature Saturday evening balloon glow, when 20-plus illuminated envelopes light up the desert dark simultaneously. Last year’s Saturday lineup featured Radio Ready, So Petty, Stevie Nicks Illusions, and Queen Nation. Sunday wraps up with the “Brunch and Balloons” experience at The Westin Rancho Mirage, where special-shaped character balloons inflate on the baseball fields at Big League Dreams and tethered balloon rides are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, weather permitting. The 2026 performer lineup and full schedule will be posted at cchotairballoonfest.com as the fall season approaches, typically announced in September.

A few practical details will shape how much you enjoy the weekend. The Saturday balloon glow sells out faster than any other ticketed element, so buying tickets the moment they go on sale is strongly advised. November nights in the Coachella Valley drop to the low 50s Fahrenheit even after warm afternoons in the upper 70s, so layers are useful especially if you plan to stay through the glow. Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City, located immediately adjacent to the Festival Lawn at 68960 East Palm Canyon Drive, offers free valet parking all weekend, making it one of the easiest festival parking solutions in the valley. The official festival app carries real-time launch alerts, schedule updates, and venue maps, which is worth downloading before you arrive since morning balloon launches are weather-dependent and occasionally shift by 30 to 45 minutes. Kids can meet pilots and collect balloon trading cards at the Saturday afternoon pilot meet-and-greet on the festival lawn starting at 3:00 PM, a lower-key window that tends to draw smaller crowds than the evening glow.

The desert setting gives this festival a visual scale you rarely get at balloon events in greener terrain. With the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains rising sharply to the south and west, and the open Coachella Valley floor stretching in every direction, balloons have clear sky from horizon to horizon once they climb above the palm line. After the morning launches, the valley’s proximity to Lake Cahuilla County Park in La Quinta, about 12 miles southeast, gives you a clean half-day option on the water before festival gates open in the afternoon. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available at the lake, and the surrounding trails offer direct views back across the valley floor. For lodging close to the festival footprint, the corridor between Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage offers the most convenient base; search Lake.com for available rentals in the greater Palm Springs area to find options within easy driving distance of all three festival venues.