The Race
First create an account here so that you can buy a balloon for 3.00 GBP
The more balloons you enter, the more chances you have of winning!
Buying OR Gifting Balloons
Sign in to go direct to your personal dashboard.
Click the [ buy / gift / activate ] button and the next screen will then give you 3 options.
[ Buy balloons for you | Buy activation codes to gift | Activate a gifted code ]
Click [ Buy balloons for you ] and buy as many balloons as you can afford.
Click [ Buy activation codes to gift ] and buy as many codes as you wish to give to friends and family. A code is the same as a balloon but prepaid and therefore free to the recipient. All the purchased codes will be sent directly to you by email for redistribution by any suitable method - email, text or WhatsApp, for example. Please ensure you use the person’s correct email address or telephone number as mistakes cannot be rectified
Activating a Gift Code
If you are the lucky recipient of an activation code, you must first create an account here otherwise we don’t know who you are if you win. Signing in takes you directly to your dashboard. Click the [ buy / gift / activate ] button. The next screen will then give you 3 options.
[ Buy balloons for you | Buy activation codes to gift | Activate a gifted code ]
Enter your code in the [ Activate a gifted code ] field and click Activate. Repeat, if necessary, with more codes. Well done, a balloon has been added to your account and now appears in your dashboard.
Customise your Balloon
Because this is a virtual race – YOU can personalise your balloon by choosing the size, shape and even the thickness of the rubber; you can decide how much virtual helium you use; you can change the colour or upload a photograph onto your balloon.
When the virtual balloon race is ‘launched’ at 5pm on Thursday 17th December 2020, the actual prevailing weather conditions for the launch area on the day will be applied to ALL the balloons in the race equally. An advanced computer modelling programme using Google maps and weather data, will then ‘track’ how each balloon reacts to the weather conditions during the race.
A larger, more aerodynamic balloon may fly faster – but it is also at greater risk of exploding, if weather conditions make the balloon rise too high or too fast. If the rubber you select is too thin, the air pressure within your balloon may make it burst; too much ‘helium’ and it could pop early, too little and it might crawl along at a low level or burst on the nearest tree or pylon.
Enter your balloon by 4:30pm on Thursday 17th December 2020
Follow your balloon's progress
Throughout the race you can track your balloon's progress online in real time by logging into your account. Have you chosen the winner?
100% environmentally friendly
Unlike a traditional balloon race – where the balloon can cause possible hazard to wildlife, West Kent 2026 Festival Appeal's Balloon Race is 100% environmentally friendly! There is no actual balloon, no string or label, no helium gas. But it’s just as unpredictable as a real race!