The festival, organised by AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private limited firm, takes place every February at the city's Polo Ground.

[1][2][3][4] Inaugurated in 2015, the two-day Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta typically features 15 hot air balloons, with the participating crew coming from various nations such as Malaysia, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.

[2] The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the first hot air balloon festival in the State of Penang, was mooted to boost tourist arrivals into the city-state.

[8][9] The inaugural event, held at the Polo Ground on 21 and 22 February 2015, was timed to coincide with the Chinese New Year festivities.

Several on-site family-friendly activities have been added into the two-day event, including workshops, photography contests and kite flying.