Spotted those red and gold balloons drifting over the Highlands? Those are Balloon Sets, one of the flying challenges in Hogwarts Legacy, and there are 32 of them to pop if you want every broom reward.
Here’s the full breakdown: when you can start, how many sets sit in each region, how popping works and what you earn. Grab your broom.
Balloon Sets at a Glance
- Total: 32 Balloon Sets across the open world.
- What counts: each set is a group of 5 balloons, 160 in total. You must pop every balloon in the group for the set to count.
- How to pop them: fly straight through them on your broom. Spells do not work on them.
- Where they show up: the map’s region tracker shows how many sets you have found in each area.
- Rewards: four cosmetic broom skins from the “Pop Balloons” challenge.
(Pro tip: the balloons do not appear on your minimap, so you are hunting by eye. Their red and gold colors stand out best against open sky, so fly a little higher than feels natural.)
How to Unlock Balloon Sets
You cannot pop a single balloon until you can fly. Here’s how to get there:
- Finish “Flying Class.” This main quest with Madam Kogawa is what unlocks broom flight.
- Buy your broom. Head to Spintwitches Sporting Needs in Hogsmeade and buy a broom from Albie Weekes.
- Get airborne. Mount up anywhere outdoors in the Highlands (brooms are off limits inside towns and some hamlets) and start scanning the sky.
- Fly through every balloon. Clip each balloon in the set until the counter ticks over.
Oh, and Madam Kogawa’s Assignments tie into this. Her first assignment asks you to pop Balloon Sets, and a few sets near the castle and in Hogwarts Valley only appear while her assignments are active. If a set you expect near Hogwarts is missing, check your quest log for a Kogawa assignment first.
Balloon Sets by Region
Here’s where the 32 sets live. The Coastal Cavern set can end up counted under Poidsear Coast, so if a number looks off by one, trust your in-game region counter.
| Region | Balloon Sets |
|---|---|
| Hogwarts Valley | 7 |
| Feldcroft Region | 6 |
| South Hogwarts Region | 5 |
| Poidsear Coast | 3 |
| Manor Cape | 2 |
| Cragcroftshire | 2 |
| Clagmar Coast | 1 |
| North Ford Bog | 2 |
| Hogsmeade Valley | 1 |
| North Hogwarts Region | 1 |
| Marunweem Lake | 1 |
| Coastal Cavern | 1 |
| Forbidden Forest and South Sea Bog | 0 |
Your best bet is to start with the big three. Hogwarts Valley, Feldcroft and South Hogwarts together hold 18 sets, more than half of the total.
Hogwarts Valley (7)
The biggest cluster of the lot, spread over the farmland and hills east of the castle. A couple of these are tied to Madam Kogawa’s second assignment, so they only spawn while that quest is running.
Feldcroft Region (6)
Down in the south, Feldcroft packs six sets around its hills and coast. It is a great region to sweep in one session from the Feldcroft Floo Flame.
South Hogwarts Region (5)
The area around the castle and the lake. Some sets here appear during Madam Kogawa’s first assignment, which is why many players pop their first balloons in this region.
The Rest of the Map
The remaining sets are spread one or two at a time across the outer regions: Poidsear Coast, Manor Cape, Cragcroftshire, Clagmar Coast, North Ford Bog, Hogsmeade Valley, North Hogwarts, Marunweem Lake and Coastal Cavern. Head to each region’s Floo Flame, take off, and circle outward until you spot red and gold.
Rewards for Popping Balloons
The “Pop Balloons” challenge has four tiers, and each tier unlocks a broom skin:
- Night Dancer (2 sets)
- Lickety Swift (7 sets)
- Wild Fire (17 sets)
- Bright Spark (all 32 sets)
These do not appear on your broom automatically. Open the Challenges menu, go to Exploration, pick Pop Balloons and claim each reward. You also get experience for every set you clear.
(Pro tip: claim rewards as soon as a tier pops so you do not forget about them. It is easy to fly around for hours on the starter broom without realizing three new skins are waiting.)
Tips for a Fast Balloon Run
- Fly slow while scouting: boosting makes it easy to fly past sets that are tucked behind hills or near bridges.
- Use Floo Flames as anchors: warp in, take off, and fly a loop around the area before moving on.
- Pair it with other collectibles: balloon routes cross plenty of Field Guide pages and chests, so stop for the obvious ones.
- Check the region counter: if a region still shows a missing set, it is there somewhere. Look higher, or check whether a Kogawa assignment is needed.
Planning the route? Our Hogwarts Legacy interactive map helps you track what is left, and the Hogwarts Legacy hub collects every guide we have. Hogwarts Legacy still has a busy community on Steam, see the live Hogwarts Legacy player count. Still deciding if it is worth a return trip? Check out our take on whether Hogwarts Legacy is worth playing in 2026.
Balloon Sets FAQ
How many Balloon Sets are in Hogwarts Legacy?
32. Hogwarts Valley has the most with 7, followed by Feldcroft with 6 and South Hogwarts with 5.
When can you start popping balloons?
After the main quest “Flying Class,” once you have bought a broom from Spintwitches Sporting Needs in Hogsmeade.
Can you pop balloons with spells?
No. You have to fly through each balloon on your broom.
What do you get for popping all the balloons?
Four broom skins: Night Dancer, Lickety Swift, Wild Fire and Bright Spark. Claim them from the Challenges menu.
Why can’t I find the last balloon set near Hogwarts?
Some sets near the castle and in Hogwarts Valley only appear during Madam Kogawa’s broom assignments. Start the assignment and they spawn.
Pro Tip: knock out Hogwarts Valley, Feldcroft and South Hogwarts first and you are already past halfway. Then pick off the outer regions one Floo Flame at a time. Nailed it? Go claim those brooms.
