Bournemouth Air Festival 2024 Set to Captivate Thousands

The 16th Bournemouth Air Festival is ready to enthrall visitors with a spectacular lineup of flying displays, ground activities, and entertainment, taking place from Thursday, 29 August to Saturday, 31 August 2024.

This annual festival continues to draw large crowds to Bournemouth’s renowned beaches, showcasing both new and returning air displays that promise excitement for all attendees.

This year’s program features the introduction of two impressive Swedish fighter jets, the Saab Viggen and Saab Draken, which will perform throughout the three-day event.

Additionally, the Red Devils Army Parachute Display Team, known for its significant contributions during the historic D-Day landings 80 years ago, will also take part in the festivities.

<pReturning favorites include the Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon, Rich Goodwin’s Jet Pitts muscle bi-plane, the AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers, and Otto the Helicopter, who is making a celebrated comeback to the skies over Bournemouth.

<pGuests can also look forward to new features, such as an outdoor cinema situated on the beach and a virtual-reality RNLI Lifeboat experience in the expanded STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Village.

<pThe STEM Village, relocated to a prime position at the East Cliff Zigzag, will highlight the latest advancements across various fields, including demonstrations by local secondary school students from Bournemouth School for Girls, who will showcase their innovative robots before competing in Greece as the UK’s first all-girls team in the ‘Olympics for Robots.’

<pAmanda Barrie, the Festival Director, expressed excitement for the upcoming event, emphasizing the importance of hydration and thanking various organizations for their contributions to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival.

<pCouncillor Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, acknowledged the hard work that went into planning the 2024 festival while addressing the future of the event amid financial challenges. A report regarding the potential for future air festivals will be presented to the council's cabinet in the autumn, with no decisions finalized yet.

<pTourists and residents can contribute to future events via voluntary donations, which can be made online when ordering the commemorative D-Day program or at designated seafront kiosks.