Words by Bea Lizarondo Soliman
Photos by Bea Lizarondo Soliman, Franchesca Collantes, Michelle Neri, and Joshua Trinidad
The Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival, which happens in Lubao, Pampanga, is an annual event that offers a range of enjoyable activities, from watching hot air balloons fill the morning sky to watching renowned local and international artists until the night ends.
This year, the three-day celebration, which spanned from the 5th of April until the 7th, celebrated its sixth year as a trademark summer event by providing thousands upon thousands of its goers with even more thrilling experiences, ensuring that this year’s festival will be as memorable as the past five ones.
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Each day began with the flight of a total of 31 local and international hot air balloons, making Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival one of the biggest hot air balloon festivals in Southeast Asia. This year, a number of uniquely-shaped hot air balloons, like the Elvis Presley, Pig, and Polar Bear balloons, painted the Philippine sky for the first time. Ffestival attendees took the opportunity to ride a tethered balloon basket as well as to capture photos to add to the feed with the picturesque and whimsical-looking sight that the group of balloons offered.
In the subject of capturing photos for the feed, festival attendees also posed in front of these giant inflatable beer bottles, with its notable stature as well as its drunk-memories-inducing factor, “pitcher” perfect.
Other than the hot air balloon watching and the other photo opportunities the festival provided, from the beginning of the day until the end, the festival offered an unimaginably wide range of activities to keep both the young and the old goers entertained. There was a paramotor exhibition, ultralight aviation, off road and rally cross, fair rides, a cultural show, a magic show featuring Rico the Magician, a food festival, and even an all-day bazaar.
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To add to this already impressive bunch of activities that surely kept all the goers busy the entire day is the long list of local and international musical acts that set foot on the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival stage. This year’s lineup was composed of I Belong to the Zoo, Juan Karlos, Ben&Ben, December Avenue, Kyoto, Al James, Shanti Dope, Gloc-9, apl.de.ap, Jessica Reynoso, Tibuan, Heart Salvador, Moira, This Band, Bamboo, and Vice Ganda.
As the night began to make its appearance, the festival hosted its much awaited balloon glow, which is an event where pilots illuminate the inflated hot air balloons with propane burners from within, giving the festival attendees the awe-inducing sight of glowing balloons reminiscent of light bulbs in a darkened room.
Photo: Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival
Each night closed with a grand firework display,which served as the suitably explosive ending to a mind-blowing celebration. With all the amusing and memorable experiences that we had in #LubaoIBMF2019, we can surely say that we can not wait for what Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival 2020 will have in store for its future festival attendees!
Did you go the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival this year? Tell us about your experience in the comments section!
Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival
www.lubaoibmf.com
Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco Lubao, Pampanga
www.facebook.com/LubaoIBMF/
