Wales Airshow

Taking to the skies over Swansea Bay on 5 and 6 July 2025

2019 Ground Displays Finalised

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The ground displays promise to be exciting once again this year for visitors to the Wales Airshow in Swansea next month

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Swansea’s city status and Armed Forces Day, the on the ground displays and activities will be offering a range of static and interactive experiences.

Static Chinook

Thanks to the extra space being generated by the temporary closure of part of Oystermouth Road over the weekend, the footprint of the event has been increased and displays will include static examples of the Spitfire and Hurricane planes that will be showing off their skills as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight – which this year is being sponsored by Great Western Railway.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Innovation, Regeneration and Tourism said: “The ground events are going to be great again this year and admission, as always, is free.

“Apart from being able to watch the Red Arrows reach for the sky, visitors will also have the chance to try out a Red Arrows simulator as well as a Typhoon

The visit of the ground-based Spitfire and Hurricane is a first for the Wales Airshow and they’ll be accompanied by experts ready to tell the wartime stories of these two iconic Battle of Britain-winning planes.

In addition to these attractions there will be a funfair at the Civic Centre west car park, military displays including a Replica Chinook and the Navy and Marines Virtual Reality Team. They’ll be giving visitors the chance to experience what it’s like to stand on an aircraft carrier as planes take off as well as an interactive boat-riding experience.

New for this year is also the RAF Police Military Working Dogs display which will take place twice a day on the beach area between The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen (formerly the 360 café) and the old slip bridge.

RAF Military Dogs

On the Saturday, the Airshow couples up with Armed Forces Day which  is the annual UK celebration of the debt of gratitude the country owes to the men and women of the Army, Navy and RAF who have served – and still serve – in combat zones around the world. The Armed forces ceremony will take place at the Cenotaph on Saturday July 6th from 10.30am

Cllr Francis-Davies said: “We’re expecting over 250,000 people to enjoy the Wales Airshow, with local businesses due to benefit from millions of pounds worth of extra spending.

He said: “The city centre will be very much open for business as normal and it’s proximity to the Airshow means that people can have the best of both worlds, just a short stroll away.  As with any major event of this scale, there will be a large volume of visitors coming into the city over the weekend. For safety reasons, there will diversions in place and we would  advise travellers to allow extra time when planning their journey.
Visit www.swansea.gov.uk/airshow or www.walesairshow.co.uk to download the Airshow App or to find out more information about road closures, diversions and event car parks and park and ride services.

Aerobatic airline to star at 2019 Wales Airshow

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The world’s only aerobatic airline will thrill tens of thousands of people in Swansea this year on Sunday 7 July at the Wales Airshow.

The Blades Aerobatic Team is due to appear over the city at the Wales Airshow, taking place on Saturday July 6 and Sunday July 7.

The Wales Airshow, organised by Swansea Council, will also include a range of other air displays including the ever popular Red Arrows. This year, as part of Swansea’s 50th anniversary celebrations, there will also be an after-dark event on the Saturday from 8.30pm. 

Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “The Blades are a real rarity – fully sanctioned by the Civil Aviation Authority to fly fare-paying passengers in close formation.

“They fly dynamic displays across Europe and I’m sure their display over Swansea Bay will be an unforgettable experience.

Based in Northamptonshire, the Blades have, for the first time, former RAF Red Arrows pilot Mike Ling (Lingy) at the control. Mike Ling, the longest serving RAF Red Arrows pilot has been at Wales Airshow for many years with the Reds but this will be his first year at the Airshow performing as part of the  Blades display team instead.

Mike Ling said “I am very excited to be heading back to Swansea for the Wales Airshow in July. Ben Murphy (Head of The Blades) and I were the Synchro Pair in the Red Arrows at the inaugural event in 2009 and I very much enjoyed heading back to meet the huge crowds in Swansea Bay as the Red Arrows’ commentator in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It was then great to display as Red 3 with the Red Arrows in 2018 but now I get to display as Blade 3 in 2019, swapping my Hawk for my Extra 300 to perform some dazzling aerobatics as a member of the world’s only aerobatic airline.

“The natural amphitheatre of the Bay and the beach packed with spectators makes Swansea one of the best display locations we could ask for.”

The Blades are now in their 14th display season, and performs its globally recognised display to around four million spectators every year.

Flying precision, close-formation aerobatics, the Blades celebrate an aviation milestone this year – 1,000 displays flown.

They showcase the performance and capabilities of the single-propeller Extra 300 as an aerobatic stunt plane.

Undertaking aerobatic manoeuvres less than four metres apart and with crossing speeds of around 350mph, they execute high-speed synchronised passes and extreme gyroscopic aerobatics.

Cllr Francis-Davies said: “In the year that Swansea marks its 50th anniversary as a city we  want to ensure that the Airshow continues to live up to its reputation as being one of our flagship events.”

“The event gets more popular every year. As well as aerial displays, ground-based entertainment and activities form part of the event.”

“The Wales Airshow is one of the UK’s biggest free events and it’s all about the spectacular. Keep an eye on the Facebook page and website as more displays are confirmed over the coming weeks.”

The Wales Airshow App, available in Appstore and Google Play, will be updated with information about all of the displays as they are confirmed over the coming weeks.

RAF Typhoon Display Team jets in for Wales Airshow

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THE RAF’S Typhoon Display Team will be performing over Swansea again this summer on both days of the Wales Airshow 2019!

The team has been confirmed for the Wales Airshow, which is taking place in Swansea Bay on Saturday July 6 and Sunday July 7.

Flying out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, the Typhoon has a maximum speed of over 1,300mph and can reach an altitude of 55,000ft, towards the edge of space. It measures close to 16 metres in length and the aircraft has a wing span of over 11 metres.

The Wales Airshow, organised by Swansea Council, is due to include attractions such as The Red Arrows and will see tens of thousands of spectators gather on Swansea Beach for two days of spectacular flying action. This year also has, for the first time, an after-dark event on the Saturday evening from 8.30pm. 

Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “We’re delighted to announce that, in the year that Swansea marks its 50th anniversary as a city, the Airshow will showcase the Typhoon display team; as always, it will be an incredible sight.

“This event increases in popularity year on year. As well as aerial displays, ground-based entertainment will also form part of the event, which is being held this summer for the fifth consecutive year.”

The Typhoon costs around £80m and is one of the world’s most advanced fighter planes. It’s so complex a machine that it can’t be flown by a human alone, it needs on-board computer back-up.

Cllr Francis-Davies continued: “The Wales Airshow is one of the UK’s biggest free events and this year we’re doing something extra to mark the city’s 50th anniversary.  The show is all about the spectacular and the huge crowds it draws really appreciate the aerial displays and ground events which form the main part of the event. Keep an eye on the Facebook page and website as more displays are confirmed over the coming weeks” A dynamic timetable of display times for the Airshow will be fed into an Airshow app a few days before the event.

Get the APP!

The Wales Airshow App, available in Appstore and Google Play, will be updated with information about all of the displays as they are confirmed over the coming weeks.

Get the APP

Submarine hunter set to star at 2019 Wales Airshow

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An eye-catching flying boat will make its debut on both days at this summer’s Wales Airshow – 75 years after it was hunting World War Two enemy submarines.

Miss Pick Up – a Consolidated Catalina plane that undertook wartime patrols off western Canada – could become a new crowd favourite at the Swansea event.

There are only around 12 airworthy Catalinas remaining and Miss Pick Up is the only one flying regularly in Europe.

The Wales Airshow, including attractions such as The Red Arrows, will see tens of thousands of spectators gather on Swansea Beach for two days of spectacular flying action on July 6 and 7.

This year also has – for the first time – an after-dark event on the Saturday. 

Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “The Catalina will bring a real sense of history to the Wales Airshow in July.

“It’s also a great looking plane with a wow factor. I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

“The Wales Airshow is already one of the UK’s biggest free events but this year, we wanted to do something extra to mark the city’s 50th anniversary.

“The show is all about the spectacular and the huge crowds it draws really appreciate the aerial displays and ground events which form the main part of the event.”

The Catalina is arguably the most famous and successful flying boat ever built. They flew widely in World War Two, its crews claiming two Victoria Cross medals.

Since the war, they have served with military and commercial operators around the world and have found new leases of life as forest fire waterbombers, survey aircraft and air display stars.

2018 saw Miss Pick Up celebrate her 75th birthday. Since the war its roles have included those of a freighter and a search and rescue plane. It is based in Cambridgeshire and flies at air shows all over Europe.

Five years ago it took part in the 70th anniversary Battle of the Atlantic flypast down the Thames in London. Miss Pick Up is supported by an active fan club – The Catalina Society.

The full timetable for the Wales Airshow weekend is available by downloading the official App from the App Store currently priced at just £1.99.

Airshow After Dark

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A summer’s evening of music, action and airborne excitement is set to transform the sky above Swansea this July.

For the first time, hot air balloons and night-flying aerobatic teams will be gathering to party over Swansea as part of the Wales Airshow weekend.

The special event from 8.30pm on July 6, which will also feature music from 1969, is being staged to help celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary and the show is expected to be really exciting.

Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said the Wales Airshow is already one of the UK’s biggest free events but this year, we wanted to do something extra to mark the city’s 50th anniversary year.

He said: “The Wales Airshow is all about the spectacular and we know that the huge crowds it draws to the city really appreciate the aerial displays and ground events which form the main part of the event.

“We’re among the Red Arrows’ biggest fans and that’s why they made sure we were on their summer schedule for both days of the event.

“But the ‘After Dark’ event promises to add something really special for evening visitors to enjoy. Anyone who’s ever seen hot air balloons by night will know what an amazing sight they are.

“The hot air firing balloons will be spaced out and tethered along Swansea beach and we’ll also have the Fireflies Display Team – two display aircraft with fireworks firing off their wings – doing a night-time stunt show.

“Also planned is a night-time jump by the Tigers parachute display team, one of our Wales Airshow regulars.”

On the ground there will be live music nostalgically taking people back to the late 60s to celebrate some of the sounds topping the charts in the year that Swansea was first designated as a city.

Cllr Francis-Davies said: “Swansea 50 is a celebration of our city’s past, present and future and the Wales Airshow comes less than a week after the official anniversary date of July 3.

“The Wales Airshow has become part of our city’s history and modern heritage with around 250,000 visitors taking to the beach across the two days of the event. We wanted to do something a bit special for the 50th anniversary and ‘After Dark’ at the Airshow will be just that.”

‘This is just one of many events planned throughout the year to commemorate Swansea’s 50th anniversary. Residents and businesses are also being asked to join in by coming up with their own events and ideas to celebrate the unique milestone.

To find out how you can be part of Swansea 50 go to www.swansea50.co.uk

Returning to the skies above Swansea Bay 5 and 6 July 2025!

Featuring breathtaking aerobatic displays, state-of-the-art military aircraft and vintage planes from the past, tens of thousands of visitors enjoy the Wales Airshow in Swansea Bay every year. Expect to see exciting air displays, incredible ground displays, entertainment and much more. For updates, sign up to our mailing list and be sure to follow us on social media.

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