The Bournemouth Air Festival last ran in 2024; it did not return in 2025 or 2026 and no future festival has been announced.
Dates, venue and tickets
| When | Not held since 2024 — no festival announced |
|---|---|
| Where | Bournemouth seafront, Dorset |
| Adult ticket | Free |
About Bournemouth Air Festival
The Bournemouth Air Festival began in 2008, flying along the coast between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers. The first one drew an estimated 750,000 people. It was free, with the Red Arrows, RAF and Royal Navy as regulars. From 2010 it added dusk flying with lights and fireworks.
In 2011 Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging was killed in a crash near Throop after a display. In 2015 the festival saw one of the Vulcan’s last flights. Crowds fell from over a million to about 500,000 by 2024. That year’s three-day show was the last funded by BCP Council. No festival ran in 2025 or 2026, and there were no firm plans to revive it.
What to expect
- When it ran: four days of flying over the sea around the end of August.
- RAF and Royal Navy displays, the Red Arrows in most years, and civil aerobatic acts.
- Evening flying with LED lighting and fireworks.
- Free viewing from the beaches, cliff tops and piers.
Getting there
- The festival flew between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers.
- If it returns, BCP Council would be the source for travel details. The old festival web address no longer belongs to the event.
Recent editions
| 2024 | 29–31 August, shortened to three days; no Red Arrows, who were touring Canada. The last council-funded festival. |
| 2023 | 31 August–3 September; weather cancelled first-day afternoon flying and all evening displays. |
| 2022 | 1–4 September. |
| 2021 | 2–5 September; a Stearman ditched in Poole Harbour and flying was suspended. |
| 2020 | Cancelled because of Covid-19; a virtual festival ran instead. |
Frequently asked
Is there a Bournemouth Air Festival in 2027?
No festival had been announced as of October 2026. It did not run in 2025 or 2026, and BCP Council has said it is open to bids to restart it.
When was the last Bournemouth Air Festival?
29–31 August 2024, the last organised and funded by BCP Council.
Was the Bournemouth Air Festival free?
Yes. It was free to watch from the seafront and cliffs.