Warstein (dpa / lnw) – The international balloon festival “Montgolfiade” in Warstein is canceled due to gas shortages. The energy emergency is the reason for the cancellation, and propane gas must also be used sparingly, the organizer emphasized on Wednesday. “We didn’t make it easy for ourselves, but unfortunately our balloon festival is not a priority in the current situation.” A catch-up date is planned for September 1, 2023. The festival’s 30th anniversary event was supposed to last from September 2nd to 10th, 2022.
Russia has already significantly reduced its gas supplies to Germany as a result of its war of aggression against Ukraine. The big concern right now is that Russia will not turn on the gas tap on the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline after maintenance that could be over in the coming days. In view of the impending gas shortage, politicians and associations are calling for energy saving.
Even if propane gas is not used for ballooning, it is a fuel that should not be used unnecessarily at the moment, explained the owner of the Warsteiner brewery, Catharina Cramer. After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the festival has been canceled for the third time in a row. All bookings for balloon rides that have already been made will be automatically canceled.
The “Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade” is the largest annual balloon festival in Europe. The organizer is the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade GmbH.
