The Paignton Airshow 2026 — officially named the English Riviera Airshow — is a 3-day free coastal aviation event held from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May 2026 at Paignton Green, Torbay, Devon. The 2026 edition marks the 10th anniversary of the first Torbay Airshow in 2016 and is expected to attract 200,000 visitors across the 3 days.
What Is the Paignton Airshow?
The Paignton Airshow — known officially as the English Riviera Airshow — is the UK’s first major free coastal airshow of the calendar year. It is held annually over the late May Bank Holiday weekend at Paignton Green, on the seafront of Torbay’s natural amphitheatre, South Devon. For the previous guide in this series, see Shoreham Airshow Disaster: Causes, the 11 Victims, Legal Proceedings, and 5 Safety Changes That Followed.
The show is organised by Torbay Council with support from the English Riviera BID Company, local businesses, corporate sponsors, and individual donors. The Flying Display Director for 2026 is TSA Consulting Ltd. Admission is completely free, with parking tickets available to purchase separately.
Since its launch in 2016, the English Riviera Airshow has attracted almost 200,000 visitors per year, delivering a consistent economic boost to the hospitality, food, accommodation, and tourism sectors across the Bay.
When and Where Is the Paignton Airshow 2026?
- Dates: Friday 29 May – Sunday 31 May 2026
- Venue: Paignton Green, Esplanade Road, Paignton, Torbay, Devon, TQ4 6BL
- Admission: Free (donations welcome)
- Parking: Purchasable in advance via the official English Riviera Airshow website
- Livestream: An official event livestream is available for remote viewers
The show takes place over 3 consecutive days, with the Friday session running as an evening event and full flying displays on Saturday and Sunday.
What Aircraft Are Confirmed for Paignton Airshow 2026?
Which RAF Aircraft Are Flying at the 2026 English Riviera Airshow?
3 of the RAF’s most iconic display assets are confirmed for the 2026 English Riviera Airshow:
- Red Arrows — the RAF Aerobatic Team, flying their distinctive BAE Systems Hawk fast-jets. The 2026 season marks a historic moment: Wing Commander Sasha Nash has taken command of the Red Arrows, becoming the first woman to lead the team. The English Riviera Airshow is one of her first public appearances in the role. The Red Arrows are known for the trademark Diamond Nine formation and precision smoke trail displays at speeds exceeding 400 mph.
- Typhoon Display Team — the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is confirmed for both Saturday and Sunday. The fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft is powered by twin Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines and is capable of supercruise — sustained supersonic flight without afterburner. Crowds can expect vertical climbs, high-speed passes, and the distinctive engine roar audible miles across the bay.
- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) — the BBMF is confirmed for the 2026 display. The flight operates some of the UK’s most historically significant airworthy aircraft, including Spitfires, Hurricanes, a Lancaster bomber, and a Douglas Dakota.
Additional confirmed participants include:
- RAF Tutor Display Team
- Royal Navy Black Cats helicopter display team
- Aerosuperbatics
- Viper Classic Jets
Further aircraft announcements are expected as the event date approaches.
What Happens on Each Day of the Paignton Airshow 2026?
What Is the Friday Night Take Off Event?
Friday 29 May 2026 features the “Take Off” opening night spectacular. The Friday evening event — introduced for the first time at the 2025 show — proved so successful that it returns in 2026. It features live entertainment and ground performances on Paignton Green, culminating in a Spitfire flypast and a pyrotechnic aerial display at dusk over the bay.
The Friday night event transforms the airshow weekend from a 2-day display into a full 3-day festival, with the opening night acting as a standalone evening attraction.
What Happens on Saturday and Sunday?
Saturday and Sunday deliver full daytime flying display programmes over Torbay’s bay. The Typhoon is confirmed for both days. Ground entertainment runs concurrently with the aerial programme across both days and includes:
- A military village
- A funfair
- A craft fair
- Live performances and bands
- Food stalls from South West traders and local producers
- Commentary and aviation exhibits on Paignton Green
Where Are the Best Places to Watch the Paignton Airshow?
What Are the Top Viewing Spots at the English Riviera Airshow?
The English Riviera Airshow takes place over Torbay’s bay — a natural coastal amphitheatre that provides excellent sightlines from multiple elevated positions across the seafront and surrounding headlands. Torbay’s curved geography means aircraft perform directly in front of the bay, visible simultaneously from Paignton, Torquay, and Brixham.
8 recommended viewing locations:
| Location | Area |
| Paignton Green (main event site) | Paignton |
| Roundham Head | Paignton |
| Paignton Pier | Paignton |
| Daddyhole Plain | Torquay |
| Beacon Quay | Torquay |
| Meadfoot Beach | Torquay |
| Berry Head | Brixham |
| Battery Gardens | Brixham |
Reserved spectator seating tickets are available in advance via the official English Riviera Airshow website.
What Is the Economic Impact of the Paignton Airshow?
How Much Does the English Riviera Airshow Contribute to the Local Economy?
£5 million was delivered to the local economy by the 2025 English Riviera Airshow, according to Torbay Council. The show supports businesses, hospitality venues, accommodation providers, and tourism operators across the bay.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract 200,000 visitors over the 3 days. Carolyn Custerson, CEO of the English Riviera BID Company, confirmed bookings for the 2026 event began immediately following the 2025 show’s conclusion, reflecting the direct impact on the tourism and events economy across the Bay.
Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism at Torbay Council, stated that the 2026 milestone represents a remarkable achievement at a time when similar events across the UK have struggled to continue operating.
What Is the History of the Paignton Airshow?
When Did the English Riviera Airshow Start?
The first Torbay Airshow was held in 2016. It was a free 2-day event organised by Torbay Council. The inaugural show attracted between 100,000 and 150,000 visitors and was supported by the RAF with the Red Arrows, the Typhoon, and BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane — the Lancaster was absent due to ongoing repair work.
Key milestones in the show’s history:
| Year | Milestone |
| 2016 | First Torbay Airshow; 100,000–150,000 visitors; Red Arrows debut |
| 2017 | Chinook display debut; HMS Somerset open to visitors on Sunday |
| 2019 | Nearly cancelled due to £90,000 funding shortfall; saved by sponsorship |
| 2020 | Renamed English Riviera Airshow; cancelled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 for second consecutive year |
| 2022 | Returned post-pandemic; re-established audience base |
| 2025 | First 3-day format; Friday night Take Off debut; £5 million economic boost |
| 2026 | 10th anniversary edition; Red Arrows, Typhoon, BBMF confirmed; 200,000 expected |
The 2019 edition came closest to cancellation. Torbay Council announced it could not afford its promised £90,000 contribution towards the estimated £200,000 total event cost. The show was saved in November 2019 after sponsorship and donations filled the shortfall.
How Has the Paignton Airshow Grown Since 2016?
The English Riviera Airshow has grown across 4 measurable dimensions since 2016:
- Duration — expanded from 2 days to 3 days in 2025, with the Friday night Take Off format now permanent
- Attendance — grown from an estimated 100,000–150,000 in 2016 to an expected 200,000 in 2026
- Economic impact — the 2025 show delivered a £5 million local economic boost, a figure not reported at the inaugural edition
- Programme scope — the flying display programme has grown significantly year-on-year, with RAF, Royal Navy, civilian aerobatic, and classic jet participants now all confirmed annually
The 2026 edition also marks a historic aviation moment: Wing Commander Sasha Nash making one of her first public appearances as the first female leader of the Red Arrows at this show. The English Riviera Airshow is confirmed as 1 of the Red Arrows’ earliest scheduled public engagements of the 2026 season.
How Do You Get to the Paignton Airshow 2026?
- By road: Paignton is accessible via the A380 from the east and the A385 from the west
- By rail: Paignton station is on the main Great Western Railway line from London Paddington via Exeter; the Dartmouth Steam Railway also connects Paignton to Kingswear
- Parking: Pre-purchased parking passes are available via the official website; road closures and restrictions apply on event days
- Accommodation: Hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, and self-catering accommodation across Torbay book quickly; advance booking is recommended for the Bank Holiday weekend
The official English Riviera Airshow website is at englishrivieraairshow.co.uk.
Sources: Torbay Council, English Riviera BID Company, English Riviera Airshow official website, Military-Airshows.co.uk, BritishAirshows.com, Air-Shows.org.uk, Visit Devon.
Alex Bradley is a UK-based aviation writer and airshow circuit regular who has spent years attending displays from RIAT at Fairford and the Biggin Hill Festival of Flight to small fly-ins that drew two hundred people and a hot dog van, and values both for entirely different reasons.
He is not a pilot. He is not a PR man for the aviation industry. He is the person in the crowd who has been coming long enough to notice when something has quietly changed, when an organiser is papering over a problem, and when a display is genuinely worth the drive.
His writing on Redhill Airshow covers the British airshow circuit, safety, display team politics, CAA regulations, and the quiet contraction of grass airfield culture that nobody in the industry wants to discuss plainly.
He has stood at Redhill Aerodrome in every kind of English summer weather, watched Tiger Moths bank low over Surrey farmland, and carries strong opinions about what this country is slowly losing one cancelled event at a time.
