Balloons take flight with one crash on day 1 of Balloon Fiesta

It’s the first day of the 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Officials and pilots are gathering at Balloon Fiesta Park to monitor the weather and prepare for the first mass ascension of the year.

Here are the top happenings at Balloon Fiesta today:

A balloon crashed into power lines near Balloon Fiesta Park
Jonathan Trappe launched from Balloon Fiesta Park in a cluster balloon for the first time
Michael Glenn, piloting Joelly Bee, will fly with Cody Unser to bring awareness to disability issues and share their stories of perseverance to never let anything stop you

A balloon crashed into powerlines south of Balloon Fiesta Park on Saturday morning.

KOAT tower cameras caught the incident soon after it happened.

Action 7 News has been told those who were in the basket are safe and the balloon was removed from the power line.

The cluster balloon, piloted by Jonathan Trappe, took flight shortly before the field was closed for launch in the morning.

Inflation for the balloon began a few hours after midnight on Saturday morning.