Hot air balloons took to the skies above Dorset on Saturday night.  

The Dorset Hot Air Balloon Festival, a two-day event, started today in Dorchester.  The event kicked off at 11am on Saturday morning, with the balloon display just after 7pm. 

It continues today. 

There were, however, issues with traffic approaching the festival site early on Saturday. 

Drivers reported queues of more than two hours on the A35 - with some festival ticketholders even turning around and going home before reaching the site. 

One motorist told the Echo: "People were getting out of their cars and walking.

"There was a bus behind us with people getting out. Lots of people were turning around. It took us 90 minutes to get through.

"All the roads from any direction were blocked. It was bumper to bumper."

On social media on Friday night, a festival spokesperson said: "First and foremost, a huge 'thank you' to everyone who came out to support our new event.

"As with all events, there are always valuable lessons learned. Unfortunately, an accident on the A35 caused traffic disruptions at the start of our event.

"Despite challenges, everything we had planned successfully took place today. We hope you enjoyed the magnificent balloons and all the other offerings. We certainly did."

The Echo has contacted festival organisers for further comment. 

This is a photo gallery article. Take a look through our photos from today's event! Full write-up to follow.