Thousands of people are expected to descend on a seaside town for its annual air show. The Bournemouth Air Festival begins on Thursday and will run until Saturday along the town's seafront. The free-to-enter event will feature demonstrations from various different aircraft display teams from around the globe. This year's event will feature shows from the RAF Typhoons, the Swedish air force and The Red Devils army parachute display team. But a performance from the festival's regularly main attraction, the Red Arrows, will be absent, due to the team's "prior international commitments".
The 2024 edition of the air show will be the last to be subsidised by BCP Council, having already been cut from the regular four days to three. The cuts came as the authority tried to manage a £50m shortfall in its budget. Earlier this year, BCP Council launched a search for bids for a five-year contract to run the festival from 2025 - but it is unknown whether this search was successful. The authority has placed an emphasis on safety at this year's show, with drones banned and travel restrictions implemented around the seafront. These restrictions include on Bournemouth Pier Approach flyover, as well as a marine safety zone restricting boats entering the water under the flight display area.
Richard Herrett, portfolio holder for destination, leisure and commercial operations at BCP Council, said: “The safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Air Festival is paramount, and I encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with our safety advice ahead of time. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Bournemouth at the end of August for a fantastic, safe and enjoyable time.”
The annual four-day spectacular will be showcasing a range of different aircraft completing displays in the sky. Organised by the BCP council, the festival will be taking place for the 15th time, having started in 2008 and only having missed a year in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Here's all you need to know about the event including what aircraft you can see, parking and if the Red Arrows will be attending.
Event Schedule and Location
Bournemouth Air Festival will be taking place from Thursday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31. The main action of the displays takes place in the skies above Bournemouth beach between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers. Visitors don’t need to pay an entry fee to attend as it’s free to watch the event. You will need to take money for any food, or souvenirs, and also to pay for parking if you're coming by car.
The Aircraft
The planes and aircraft that are scheduled for Bournemouth Air Festival are:
- Red Devils
- Firebirds
- Fury and Tempest
- Wingwalkers
- Wasp
- Swordfish
- Black Cats
- Tutor
- Typhoon
- The Starlings
- Jet Pitts
- Spitfire and Mustang
- Draken and Viggen
- Typhoon
- Firebirds
- Otto
- Red Devils
Additionally, there are a few aircraft teams involved in Night Air displays which will feature:
- Typhoon
- Firebirds
- Otto
- Red Devils
Things To Do On The Ground
Alongside watching the displays, there are several things visitors can do on the ground to keep entertained. This includes funfair rides along the seafront, an Armed Forces and Royal Air Force village, a Royal Navy dive tank, a display of vintage cars on the East Overcliff and plenty of food stalls.
If you're in the mood to watch some films then Vision Cinema will have some outdoor screenings on over the weekend, with the schedule available on the website here. Alongside that, His Majesty’s Royal Marines Band Portsmouth will perform at the Beat Retreat Sunset Ceremony in the Lower Gardens on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6.40pm as well as a morning concert on Saturday at 11am.
Finally, a fireworks display will occur on Friday and Saturday evening at 10pm after the Night Air Dusk Displays.
How To Get To The Bournemouth Air Festival
Event organisers recommend using the Park and Ride service but if you wanted another option then the Avenue Road (BH2 5SL) and Richmond Hill (BH1 1JD) car parks could also work. They add: "All our seafront car parks get busy very quickly so save yourself a sticky car journey and park and walk."
There is also the option for Premium Parking at the Bath Road South or Eden Glen car parks which you can book in advance to guarantee a spot. More details on this can be found on the Air Festival website here.
Park and Ride
The park and ride service runs on the Friday and Saturday of the festival from Kings Park (BH7 7AF). It runs every 15 minutes from 9am with the last bus leaving at 11pm where you will be conveniently dropped next to the event site on the East Overcliff.
Bike or E-scooter
Organisers of the air festival are encouraging people to take a Beryl Bike or E-scooter to the festival where possible. E-scooters and bikes aren’t allowed on the site itself. You can find a list of your nearest bay, bike or scooter and learn how it works on the website here.
Recommended reading:
Bus
Timetables for Morebus can be found on their website here. You can catch one of their services from the following destinations to get to the festival:
Train
If you’re coming by train, there’s a railway station in Bournemouth which is around a 30-minute walk to the seafront.
A Glimpse Into The Future
The Bournemouth Air Festival has been a major attraction for the town, bringing in thousands of visitors and providing a boost to the local economy. However, the council's decision to no longer subsidize the event raises questions about its future. Will a new sponsor be found to take over the funding? Will the festival be able to continue without council support? Only time will tell what the future holds for this beloved event.
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