Dozens of hot air balloons in the skies of France for the Enenvol gathering

A triumph of hot air balloons in the French skies. As part of a new global gathering, dozens of colorful balloons took off today from Chambley-Bussières, in Lorraine, as part of a newly formed festival called Enenvol. Balloons shaped like giant ladybugs, monkey heads, and simple multicolored spheres will fill the skies across the Alps until Sunday. According to organizers, more than 200 pilots from 18 countries have registered for the international gathering. Since 1989, this eastern French territory has hosted one of the world's largest hot air balloon gatherings (Grand Est Mondial Air Ballons, Gemab), created in 1989 by Philippe Buron-Pilâtre, heir to the first 'flying man' Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier (1783). The spectacle attracted up to 3,000 pilots and half a million spectators each year, according to organizers. The last edition was held in 2023, when the founder announced his retirement. The Enenvol festival now aims to perpetuate this tradition, even though it has filed a legal dispute with Gemab. Magistrates at the Metz court in Lorraine have also banned Enenvol from making any reference to the previous event in their communications campaigns.