The Bournemouth Air Festival is an annual air show held along the coast at Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. It has featured aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as civil aviation displays. Since its formation in 2008, the festival claims to have entertained over nine million people.
History
The first Bournemouth Air Festival was held from 28–31 August 2008, attracting over 750,001 visitors.
2009
Its second year, 2009, was held from 20–23 August and attendance almost doubled to an estimated 1,344,000 people. Aircraft at the 2009 festival included:
The 2010 Bournemouth Air Festival was marred by poor weather although the general public still enjoyed the static displays and the small amount of flying that took place.
2011 - Third Annual Air Festival & Red Arrow’s Crash
The 2011 event took place between 18–21 August. On Saturday 20 August, at approximately 13:50 BST, one of the Red Arrows, Red Four, crashed in a field, approximately 1 km near to Bournemouth Airport. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, was killed in the accident, when returning to the airport after a display at the Air Festival. An inquest heard Flt Lt Egging may have succumbed to G-force impairment before attempting to correct his course in the moments before the impact. The coroner in Bournemouth recorded a verdict of accidental death. The court heard a service inquiry, led by Wing Cdr Mark Rodden, concluded "A-loc" - almost loss of consciousness due to G-force - was the likely cause of the crash. Memorial Sculpture and Relocation after Clifftop Landslide: Prior to the 2012 Bournemouth Air Festival, a memorial sculpture was unveiled in a private ceremony at the top of the East Cliff at Bournemouth Beach. The sculpture is of three glass Red Arrows planes and stainless steel contrails. In August 2017, the memorial sculpture was relocated further along the East Cliff, at the top of the Zig-Zag, after a landslide on 24 April 2016. Rubble fell down the 30m-high rock face in East Cliff, partially engulfing the carriages of an Edwardian funicular railway - known as East Cliff Lift and a crushing a block of toilets. There were no reported injuries as a result of the landslide. Although undamaged in the landslide, the Jon Egging memorial was close to the edge and was sealed off from public view.
2013
The 2013 show took place between Thursday 29 August and Sunday 1 September.
All Days etc. - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight; Gerald Cooper Aerobatics ; Hawker Hunter 'Miss Demeanour'; Hawker Hunter and De' Havilland Sea Vixen flypasts; Jet Provest; Patrouille Reva; RAF Tucano; RAF Tutor; Royal Navy Lynx Helicopter; Royal Navy Merlin Helicopter; The Blades; The Tigers Parachute Team
Night Air on The Piers
As well as entertainment in the sky, in the sea and on land, since 2014 Bournemouth Air Festival has brought live music on stages next to Boscombe and Bournemouth Pier. Artists include established singer/songwriters, bands, instrumentalists and tribute bands. In the Lower Gardens of and cliff tops at Bournemouth, there are performances by Military bands, including Royal Marines and Army Air Corps bands. Whilst there are performances, there are dusk air displays, featuring pyrotechnics and aerobatics as a finale to the flying programme each day. 2013 2014 2015
2016 (Due to an unusually high tide and strong winds, performances were cancelled)
Friday 19th August:
Rixton
Kaiser Chiefs
Saturday 20th August:
All performances cancelled due to weather
2017
Thursday 31 August:
Rooster - a UK South Coast party band played a show of favourite party tunes.
Friday 1 September:
brought his own homecoming headline big band show 'Sinatra to Buble' with renowned touring UK Big Band, to the Bournemouth Pier Music Stage on Bournemouth Beach playing a mixture tunes from Frank Sinatra Classics, Syd Lawrence Arrangements to the likes of Harry Connick Jr & songs associated with Michael Buble.
Saturday 2 September:''
Wonderband (The foremost Stevie Wonder band in the U.K. performing the music of Stevie Wonder.
2018
Thursday 30 August:
Nino Nikolov.
McGoozer
The UK BeeGees.
Friday 31 August:
Danny Adams.
Wonderband.
Saturday 1 September:
Greg Johnson
U2 2.
Awards: Since its formation in 2008, Bournemouth Air Festival has won several awards. These include:
