Published on Thursday 29 August 2024
The 16th Bournemouth Air Festival is preparing to take-off, with a host of enthralling flying displays, ground entertainment and activities planned for this year’s three-day event.
Bournemouth Air Festival, which runs from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 August this year, attracts thousands to Bournemouth’s award-winning beaches every year.
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 - who’s come out of retirement to dazzle Bournemouth’s crowds once more.
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.
Amanda Barrie, Festival Director at Bournemouth Air Festival, said:
“We are excited to welcome crowds of residents and visitors down to Bournemouth’s seafront for the 16th Bournemouth Air Festival.
“It looks to be beautiful weather this weekend, so please keep hydrated by refilling your water bottles at the free water stations along the promenade.
“I would like to thank all BCP Council staff and our partners for their tremendous support in putting on a safe, friendly and welcoming festival.
“I would particularly like to thank the Emergency Services including the RNLI, Dorset Police The South West Ambulance Service, The Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Brigade, the Coastguard and Poole Harbour Commissioners.
“Special thanks of course go to the Armed Forces - the RAF, the Royal Navy, the Army, and the Royal Marines, all of whom play their part in creating extraordinary entertainment.
“I wish everyone a successful, enjoyable and safe Bournemouth Air Festival in 2024.”
Councillor Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said:
“We understand people are keen to know what’s happening with the Bournemouth Air Festival after this year’s event.
“A lot of work has gone into the Bournemouth Air Festival 2024 – thank you to all our partners who have worked with us to pull off what will be a fantastic event.
“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.”
In 2024, residents and visitors can give a voluntary donation of £2, £5 or £10 to help support a calendar of exciting future events and activities.
Donations can be given online when ordering the commemorative 80th anniversary D-Day programme, which will contain a unique code that also provides access to the up-to-date flying schedule, or in person at any one of eight selected seafront kiosks.