In just a couple of months, you can go bobbing in a balloon high up in the air. After Mexico, Taiwan and Turkey, it is Bangalore which will host its maiden edition of a hot air balloon festival.

Though the dates are yet to be finalized, the event is tipped to happen in the last week of January or early February. Facilitated by the Karnataka tourism department, this four-day event will be held in the cities of Mysore, Hampi and Bangalore. Initially, Bidar was the venue instead of Bangalore, till the organizers reportedly ran into trouble with the place, and Bangalore became the unlikely beneficiary in the process.

According to senior officials of the state tourism department, 30 balloons from Southeast and European countries will be brought in for the event. "One single ride can accommodate up to six persons, and each day there will be two such rides," Viswanatha Reddy, director, department of tourism, told TOI.

The enthusiasm around the hot air balloon festival is apparent from the kind of response it has managed to generate even before the dates have been finalized. It is learnt that one tour operator came forward and volunteered to sell off all tickets for this fun-filled adventure sport.

Foreign tourists visiting India around that time would be the target audience, said tourism department officials. Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing balloonists to gather and participate in various activities. They include races, evening night glows (where balloons are fired while remaining bound to the ground) and rides.

"This is an interesting adventure sport, and we are hopeful of drawing people to it," said Reddy