Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to attend next weekend’s English Riviera Airshow. Plan ahead and find out all you need to know about the action-packed event. The English Riviera Airshow takes place across Paignton seafront on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June. For the first time in the Airshow’s history, there will also be a special opening night on the Friday (31 May) before the event which is open to all.
Some of the UK’s most iconic aircraft will take to the skies including the RAF Red Arrows, the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAF Typhoon and so much more. Meanwhile the Event Village on Paignton Green will be filled with live music, exciting entertainment and a wide range of food and drink stalls throughout the whole weekend.
The two-day extravaganza is free to attend and will feature word-class aerial displays and fantastic on-the-ground entertainment. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Torbay coastline, this year’s event promises to be bigger, bolder, and more breathtaking than ever before.
Travel
There are a number of ways to get to the Airshow. If you’re travelling by bus, there will be services operating around Paignton on both days of the Airshow from across Torbay and further into Devon. Service 12 provides a direct service from Newton Abbot, Torquay and Brixham to Paignton. The open top double-decker buses will also serve Paignton throughout the day on Service 122. Full details are available by visiting www.stagecoachbus.com.
If you’re travelling by train, the closest train station to the Airshow Village is Paignton which is just a six-minute walk away from the Event Village. The station is served by GWR, CrossCountry Trains and Dartmouth Steam Railway. Services from Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot to Paignton station run approximately every half hour.
If you’d prefer to travel by car then please be aware that the only way to guarantee a parking space is to pre-book your car parking online ahead of the event. Tickets cost £30 for our Premium Parking and £20 for our Parking Zone 1. All parking includes an Official Programme and Limited Edition 2024 English Riviera Airshow badge. Car parking can be booked through the English Riviera Airshow website: www.englishrivieraairshow.co.uk/
Motorists are advised that no on-the-day payment facility will be available in Victoria, Colin Road, Roundham and a section of Quaywest car park and therefore they should use alternative nearby car parks. For alternative nearby public car parks, please visit the find a car park page.
Anyone travelling by car to the event should be aware that road closures and safety and traffic management measures will be in place from 11am until 7pm on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June. These measures limit vehicular access around Paignton seafront, Preston seafront and the surrounding residential areas. Affected roads along with diversion routes will be clearly advertised.
Disabled car parking is located in Victoria Car Park, Garfield Road, Paignton, TQ4 6AU.
The car park is just a five-minute walk from the Event Village along pavements and roadways. The disabled spaces are allocated on the day and we advise early arrival and parking ahead of crowds arriving.
You can also travel to the Airshow via ferry (visit www.torbay.gov.uk/ferry for more information), by bike (cycle parking standards are available) or by coach (the drop-off point is adjacent to the Paignton Club and parking can be booked through the Airshow website for £100 per day).
Kites, balloons and drones
The English Riviera Airshow is requesting that no kites or balloons be flown in Torbay. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority has declared it illegal to fly a drone within four nautical miles of the airshow site. These measures are for the safety of the aircraft performing during the airshow. Any flying of drones will mean that the Airshow is suspended until the item has been landed and subsequently confiscated by the appropriate authorities and may result in prosecution.
Facilities and important information
Additional toilets will be available in the Event Village, along with accessible toilets, and an information point.
Disabled access viewing spots for the air displays will be situated at the Eastern Esplanade (Harbour End) and the Paignton Green Event Village by the Redcliffe Hotel along Eastern Esplanade, either side of Paignton Pier.
Dogs are welcome but please always keep them on leads on the event site.
There are First Aid points on both the North and South of Paignton Green.
The lost children’s point is located on Pier Approach.
Clean, safe drinking water will be available on site. Please bring your own clean refillable bottles. We will also have hand washing facilities alongside all toilets.
What’s on
Members of the public are invited to the opening night on Friday 31 May. Join us at Paignton Green from 6pm to 10pm where you can kick off the weekend and enjoy a great line-up of live music headlined by The Barefoot Bandits. As with the rest of the Airshow, the opening night is free to attend and there will be plenty of food and drink stands to choose from.
On Saturday 1 June flying will take place from 2pm – 3:45pm and 4:30pm – 6pm. The Red Arrows will be soaring into the Bay with their iconic, nine-aircraft show and breathtaking manoeuvres. The thrilling flight schedule will also showcase the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Typhoon and D-Day Memorial Display (featuring the Blenheim, P-51 Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire) alongside a whole host of impressive civilian aircraft.
Day 2 of the Airshow will see flying take place from 1pm – 2:30pm and 3:15pm – 4:30pm. Once again spectators will be treated to roaring aerial displays and flybys by a wide range of modern and historical aircraft. All the RAF aircraft – minus the Red Arrows- and civilian aircraft will be returning to the skies alongside the Westland Sea King, wowing crowds with their spectacular displays. Please note that flying times are subject to change.
Both days of the Airshow will feature an array of on-the-ground entertainment to keep Airshow fans and families entertained in between aerial displays. Music will fill the air as we showcase incredible acts, BBC Devon introducing artists, and local bands playing into the night on both Saturday and Sunday. This includes 10-piece-band Joey the Lips who will be headlining at 9:15pm on Saturday night.
Some of the many attractions in the Event Village include the static spitfire, community football provided by McDonald’s and Saints South West, Children’s Week tent full of activities and an Artisan tent of local craft stalls. The Event Village on Paignton Green will be open from 10 am on both days. It will be packed with rides, carnival stalls, local and national traders and a wide variety of food and drink stalls. You can also see stands from visiting RAF, Navy, and Army crews in the Armed Forces Village.
Torbay Council will also be is holding its next Residents Engagement Event at the event village on Paignton Green. The engagement events allow the council to listen to residents and provide information on future plans or respond to local concerns. These events also provide the opportunity for people to feedback local insight to improve council services. The focus for this event will be local sea defence and regeneration schemes, as well as any other issues people wish to discuss. People should look out for the Torbay Council gazebo at the event village, where councillors and officers will be on hand both days from 10am to 4pm.
Further information on the flying programme, Event Village, pre-booking Airshow car parking tickets and reserved seating, road closures, parking restrictions, disabled access and getting to the event can be found via: www.englishrivieraairshow.co.uk/
Make a weekend of it
Make a Weekend of it with us this June. Enjoy two days of exciting free entertainment, experience the English Riviera’s hospitality, and explore everything the area has to offer. Plan your English Riviera Airshow break via www.englishrivieraairshow.co.uk/
The official travel partner Great Western Railway offers direct routes to the English Riviera and the Airshow location. Plan and book your journey via www.gwr.com
About the English Riviera Airshow
The English Riviera Airshow, held annually since 2016, is the UK’s premier aviation event. It combines thrilling flying displays with ground-based festivities, captivating audiences of all ages. The Airshow is a collaborative effort supported by Torbay Council, the English Riviera BID Company, local businesses and organisations, and aviation enthusiasts.
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