Balloonsandtunesuk Reviews 35

The event was very poorly organised and felt like a cash grab, with everything priced far too high. The music was disappointing, with many acts relying heavily on auto-tune. The balloons couldn’t go up due to the weather, which is understandable, but there was no backup plan in place.

Our tickets for parking and entry weren’t even checked, and the security searches were so minimal that bags were barely looked at—making it easy for people to bring in anything. The stage was set too close to the balloon and stunt area, which meant you couldn’t hear announcements or the stunt commentary properly. Adding the constant noise from the fairground made the whole experience overwhelming.

The schedule was changed on the day, and a lot of the attractions originally advertised when booking were missing. Facilities were also poor: the toilets were inadequate for the size of the crowd, not maintained, and there was no baby-changing area at what was supposed to be a family event. The kids’ tent was far too small, and the foam party left the area slushy and unusable.

Overall, it was an overpriced, poorly run event that failed to deliver on its promises.

Don’t waste your money thinking you’ll get what’s promised on the marketing posters.
The event I booked tickets for was cancelled and I received a refund but for all the poor people who’ve been to an event with this company and it’s not delivered any of what’s promised on the media posts. Don’t be sucked into thinking you’re going to a well organized safe event. Save your money for more reliable companies.

I paid £140 for my family to go to this event. The grandchildren (and us) were so looking forwards. We had taken our kids many years ago to Northampton and they were brilliant. This one however was not. We had basically paid £140 for a funfair. No balloons no parachute display non existent dinosaur display and the motorbike display was 1 bike and 1 motor bike. They did their best but was tucked away in a corner and only the select few could see. To say it was an utter disappointment is an understatement. Save your money and go elsewhere

Absolute Rip Off
Firstly they charge for parking yet noone even checks this so it's an easy £6/7 for the organisers. Parking organisation was non existent...people in hi Viz but doing nothing. We saw people leaving on our arrival and wondered why....
Bag checks were pointless as it was quick glance, didn't even check the entry tickets! Apparently no food and drink was allowed in yet people were freely wheeling in coolboxes without being challenged.
As for the event. At 2pm pilots decided it was too windy for balloons so wouldn't go ahead but this wasn't announced anywhere and right throughout the afternoon and evening the organisers kept saying on social media it was happening.....clearly a scam to keep people there and spending money.
They advertised atilt walker, mascot characters, dinosaurs and bubble blowers wandering....none of these were there.
A dog display didn't happen
The tribute acts were awful but so loud that you couldn't escape wherever you were
The stunt bikes were shoved in a corner doing basic things on a ramp attached to a van....those who could see would have seen better in the local park!
As for monster trucks...the 'show' was 3 drives over a row of cars. The rides were apparently pre-booked but this wasn't advertised anywhere but I'm glad as it was a couple of laps around a flat grass track....I did better driving into the carpark!

All in all overpriced and underdelivered massively!

Review for the Market Harborough event on 6th September 2025.

***Warning*** They are deleting all the negative comments on all Facebook posts from yesterday's event (06/09/25).

The event was poorly managed, over crowded, over priced, no explanation on why certain billed entertainment was a no show, everything was late, and the PA system could barely be heard. Monster truck show was for about 10 mins and unless you set up shop around 2 hours before, you wouldn't have seen it unless you were on someone's shoulders... And don't get me started on the toilets. We arrived about an hour after opening and there were a few already blocked and the queues by mid afternoon were awful!!

If you pre-paid for parking, unlucky.. no-one was checking if you had paid to park and it was a free for all parking situation.

The stunt riders consisted of 2 blokes riding on a ramp from a van and we're doing things most of us could do when we were teenagers.

The fairground was a complete rip off (as most of them are). For the price of entry I would have expected free rides included.

£7 for a price of Aldi cider which wasn't even kept cold...

Please folks, if you see this post before it is deleted, consider this a stern warning to lower your expectations!!!!

This was clearly a cash grab from the organisers and a shameful one at that. Complete shambles.

I have tried reaching out to them, but unsurprisingly I have not had a response!!

Awful! Event had nothing as advertised. It was overpriced and nobody even bothered checking tickets. Scam company. DO NOT VISIT.

Worst event I have ever been too.
I was very disappointed with this event. The ticket prices were far too high for what was offered. Entertainment that was advertised never happened, tickets were barely checked at the entrance, and the venue was seriously overcrowded. Overall, it felt unsafe, poorly managed, and definitely not worth the money.

Unsafe - too many people crowded in! Not allowed to take own food or drink, yet half the people had their items removed and half were allowed to take them in. T&C say no dogs, yet saw atleast 8 dogs being dragged around (deff not service dogs). Prices for food extortionate like I’ve never seen. £5 per child for fair ground ride.

The balloons - didn’t happen. Weather apparently (but seemed fine). And the tunes were loud, out of tune noise which mixed with the loud fairground music screeching was sensory overload.

All the “free” (still £12+ entrance per adult), was cancelled so nothing for the kids. No characters, no entertainment.

Paid £60 to queue to get in. Queue 30+ mins for toilet. Not afford to eat or drink (you can take empty water bottles but there’s no filling stations). Literally nothing to do unless you pay for the fair ground rides as everything gets cancelled and this seems to be the case with every event.

Not family friendly at all. We took an 11 month old as assured they would love it - they didn’t.

An honest review about our day. We were lucky we actually got up there early i guess as there seems to be complaints about the long wait to park, but we did not experience this as we were organised.
They were taking food and drinks off you as you go in, we didn't have any to take off us.
There is a big funfair that's about £5 a ride which gets expensive when there's 4 of you but you dont have to pay it if you dont want to.
My kids loved the kids tent the pirates were amazing the foam parties reminded me of my nightclubbing days.
The person who reviewed the foam party was just mud and was not topped up must be one of the stupidest people on the planet they advertised 2 foam parties and a rave I know as I was in them with my kids. Food was a good selection and no more expensive than a pub meal out the Greek stall and noodles were lovely. The moster trucks are LOUD did not realise just how loud they would be nice to see once but won't be rushing out to see again.
The music seemed good my kids wouldn't sit still long enough for me and the wife to enjoy it.
Could not see the children's characters walking about or the wresting show.
Too windy for balloons which was obvious they had the baskets and were pulling flames out. Not great but they tried I guess. No where near enough toilets the ques were mental and no toilet roll.
We had a good day mainly from the kids tent it is as expensive as you want to make it

Lots of the free entertainment was not on. It was a glorified fair with very expensive rides and games.
Miss sold.

Do not waste your money on this day out I’d rather have stayed at home !! Que to get in was awful ! No sign posts to direct so went the wrong way , churros and 2 pans of pop , £16!!! Absolute rip off , no balloons in sight , one lot of toilets you had to walk miles for , the rides were £5 or more each , literally spent £100 in the 1 and a half hours we were there , absolute rip off, load of crap ! The singers were utter garbage and tone deaf ! Gutted I wasted so much money on this heap of junk when I could have literally took my daughter to Alton towers for the day for less than this !

I'm so angry that I fell for the marketing and actually spent my money on tickets for the event at Market Harborough in the UK. This event is simply designed as a money trap, to grab as much cash from you as humanly possible and in as quick a time as you can blink. We queued for 2 hours to get in, they didn't even check our entry tickets and only searched our bags to make sure we didn't have any food or drink. They banned food and drink because when you get inside, it's an average of £15-£20 for a terrible junk meal and a drink. Fairground rides were £5-10 per person per ride. There wasn't even any hot air balloons and the rides on the monster truck were £12 pp. There was no arts and crafts, no fun unless you paid. and extortionately.
I actually want my money back and will never go to another festival again as long as I live. This company has put me off for life and ruined it for any other organisers.

So disappointed, monster trucks rides were prebooked but there was no where stating this, so missed out despite getting to the show when it started. The times for the monster truck show was moved without any communication online, so we rushed to get there when we needn't.
The food prices were ridiculous, £15 burgers, £12 wraps, £10 churros and so on.
Fun fair was at least £5 a go on/do anything. Foam party was a layer of muddy froth sitting on the grass, kids were scooping it off the ground to place it on themselves, no fresh foam was added.
No balloons due to wind - totally understandable.
Spent £80 altogether (parking is a compulsory £7) for two adults and 1 child. I feel sorry for bigger families. Such a shame.

Very confused about this event, and what it's supposed to be?! Extortionate ride prices - literally eye watering. Mainly rides, one stage with sub par 'entertainment'. Food trucks. Random attempts to get some hot Air balloons up in the air which never worked. Very very weird, it's basically the most expensive funfair you'll ever go to!!!

Possibly the worst public event experience of my life last weekend at Uttoxeter.
A very unsafe event and happy to be legally challenged on that one. The company obviously does not understand what its legal duty of care obligations are.
I'm not bothered that I paid to park, but no one checked or cared. I'm not even bothered that no one bothered or cared to check my entry ticket.
I am.bothered by the blatant lack of public signage and information, the generators and fuel storage with kids climbing on them, the multitude of cables everywhere, the lack of bins, the apparent lack of any medical cover (couldn't find them anywhere). It's a glorified fairground, nothing more.
Why are there no other reviews, positive or negative???