The 16th Bournemouth Air Festival is taking off, with a host of enthralling flying displays, ground entertainment and activities planned for this year’s three-day event. The festival, which runs from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 August this year, attracts thousands to Bournemouth’s award-winning beaches every year. This year’s event starts today and will run for just three days, compared to the previous four-day events.
Flying Displays
The festival will see several new displays on show, including two formidable Swedish fighter jets – the Saab Viggen and Saab Draken – who will perform on all three days. The Red Devils Army Parachute Display Team, which played an important role in the historic D-Day landings 80 years ago, will also perform. Several flying favourites will also return to Bournemouth’s skies, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon, Rich Goodwin’s Jet Pitts muscle bi-plane, the AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers and Otto the Helicopter. The RN Black Cats Wildcat Helicopter team are marking their 20th year on the display circuit, with a flying display at the Show. Navy Wings, dedicated to preserving the Fleet Air Arm’s aviation heritage, will fly the Wasp helicopter and the Swordfish torpedo bomber.
Ground Entertainment
As well as the usual fun fair and ground entertainment, an outdoor cinema located on the beach is new to this year’s event, as well as a virtual-reality RNLI Lifeboat experience situated in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Village. The expanded STEM Village has moved to a prime location at the bottom of the East Cliff Zigzag, and will showcase the latest advancements on land, sea, air and even space. Five local secondary schoolchildren from Bournemouth School for Girls (BSG) will be exhibiting their innovative robots at the village, before flying to Greece to represent Great Britain in the ‘Olympics for Robots’ – the first all-girls team from the UK to do so.
Royal Navy Presence
With Navy Days long since gone and the disappearance of RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose Air Days, this is one of the few events where the RN is visible to the public. The RN village on the beach offers interactive experiences where Royal Marines will challenge visitors to try their gym equipment and take on the ‘hang-tough’ contest. Marines will also be on hand to discuss their global operations, which currently includes deployments in Korea, the USA, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, covering everything from training exercises to drug interdiction and maritime security. RN divers and bomb disposal experts will also be displaying their remote-controlled robots and specialized equipment, including a dive tank. P2000s, HMS Express and HMS Ranger of Coastal Forces Squadron will operate out of Poole Harbour and throughout the weekend will be taking pre-invited affiliates and visitors on trips around Bournemouth Bay as part of their defence engagement work. The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines based at HMS Collingwood will perform a Beating Retreat nightly at 6:40pm in the Lower Gardens. This will be preceded by an unarmed combat display from the Commando Recruitment team at 6:20pm.
The Future of the Festival
While this year’s event is poised to be another spectacular event, the future of the Bournemouth Air Festival is uncertain. BCP Council has stated that this is the last year of a council-funded airshow. Councillor Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said, “We’re currently scoping plans for a potential future air festival and have been honest that, bearing in mind the financial challenges we are facing as a council, this is the last year of a council funded air show. We have talked to several potential operators for future years, but any decision needs to go through the full democratic process. No decision has been made yet and a report is due to go to the council’s cabinet in the autumn. A potential future operator could decide to pause the production of an air festival in 2025 to allow time to plan and refresh the event for 2026. We will update residents, businesses and visitors as soon as we can.”
Safety First
In order to ensure safety at this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival, BCP Council is reminding local people of a number of restrictions. Drones are strictly banned at the site. Visitors are advised to take a picture of your child or vulnerable person to show what they’re wearing during each visit to the Air Festival, and to also collect a free wristband from LV=Kidzone operatives, seafront offices or RNLI lifeguard towers. Visitors are encouraged to follow the RNLI’s beach safety advice if entering the water, which includes swimming between the red and yellow lifeguard flags and following their essential ‘Float to Live’ guidance.
A Final Thought
The Bournemouth Air Festival is a beloved event that draws in residents and visitors from across the UK. It’s a celebration of aviation, military prowess, and community spirit. While the future of the festival hangs in the balance, the current organizers are dedicated to ensuring that this year’s event is a memorable one. Whether you're a seasoned aviation enthusiast, a casual observer, or simply looking for a day out by the sea, the Bournemouth Air Festival has something to offer everyone. So, don your best sunglasses, grab a spot on the beach, and enjoy the show!
