The love story between Igualada and balloons goes back a long way. In 1980, three Igualadinos emulated Jules Verne's novel Five Weeks in a Balloon and crossed the African continent in a hot air balloon. They were the same people who once again created Ultramagic, a company from Iguala that today is a leader in the design and manufacture of balloons, with an annual production of close to one hundred units. Precisely, one of his latest creations premiered yesterday in the opening flight of the 27th edition of the European Balloon Festival. It is a basket, which they have baptized with the name of "romantic", with only two seats for passengers and one for the pilot.
It responds to the demand of couples who want to have a romantic date in heaven. The basket, with a door, allows the two travelers to fly comfortably seated, enjoying spectacular views –thanks to a low railing– while they have a tasting, in its debut it was cava. The couple that has premiered it have been the young Igualadinos Joan Ponsà and Marta Barrabeig, who are getting married this July. The romantic balloon has taken off with a heart-shaped candle.
About forty hot air balloons, some of them from the United States, India, Tunisia, Dubai, Turkey, Austria, England, Luxembourg or Monaco, will fly until Sunday at the European Balloon Festival, the most important hot air balloon festival in southern Europe. .
This year's novelties also include a drone night show that will revolve around the theme of balloons, which will draw a three-dimensional story in the sky with a hundred devices flying thanks to state-of-the-art technology that synchronizes movement , lighting and soundtrack. The show revolves around the 40-year history of the Igualadina company Ultramagic and Igualada's relationship with balloons. It can be seen on Saturday night, it will be completed with the traditional Night Glow, a light and color show that is one of the festival's most attended acts, and the concert by singer Triquell, finalist in the first edition of Eufòria.
This year's edition will include, as usual, the traditional flights in the morning –from Thursday to Sunday– and in the afternoon –from Thursday to Saturday– from Parc Central, except for today's takeoff, Friday, which takes place from different city squares. The flights will coexist every day with thirty recreational and cultural activities inside wind igloos (recycled balloon fabrics) installed in different central points of the capital of the Anoia region.
Igualada is, most likely, the city that has the most hot air balloon pilots per number of inhabitants. There are currently 27 certified pilots, 31 registered balloons and three companies that carry out almost daily flights, in addition to the world's leading hot-air balloon manufacturing company: Ultramagic. All of this makes Igualada a benchmark for European ballooning.
