The English Riviera is preparing to stage one of the south-west’s most ambitious aerial spectacles this summer, with the Red Arrows, the RAF Typhoon Display Team and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight confirmed as the headline acts for a free three-day airshow along the Devon coast.
Organisers say the event, which will unfold above a 22-mile stretch of shoreline taking in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, is shaping up to be one of the defining early-summer coastal gatherings in the UK calendar. Entry to the displays will be free of charge, with a festival village, ground-based entertainment and a dedicated opening-night celebration rounding out the programme.
The flying displays will play out against a backdrop few British airshow venues can match. The English Riviera holds UNESCO Global Geopark status, a designation that recognises its internationally significant geology and the dramatic character of its cliffs, sheltered coves and broad sandy bays. It is a setting organisers hope will draw not only aviation enthusiasts but also leisure travellers looking for a seaside weekend with a difference.
For the business travel market, the long weekend is being pitched as a natural extension to a south-west itinerary or a ready-made incentive for corporate away-days and team getaways. With strong rail and road links into Torbay from London, the Midlands and the north, and a hotel stock ranging from heritage seafront properties to boutique harbourside rooms in Brixham, the bay is well placed to absorb the anticipated uplift in visitors.
The blend of heritage aircraft, contemporary aerobatics and festival-style programming is expected to position the English Riviera Airshow as one of the season’s standout coastal events, and a compelling reason for business travellers to turn a midweek trip into an extended weekend on the Devon coast.