The airshow in Oshkosh 2026 — officially EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — takes place from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 July at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The 73rd EAA fly-in convention features 9 air shows over 7 days, including 2 night air shows on 22 and 25 July. The event attracts more than 600,000 people and 10,000 aircraft each July, making it the world’s largest aviation gathering.
What Is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world’s largest annual fly-in convention, organised by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The event generates an estimated economic impact of $257 million for the Fox Valley region. For the previous guide in this series, see Paignton Airshow 2026: Dates, Aircraft Lineup, 10th Anniversary, and 5 Key Facts.
The 2026 edition carries the official theme “Celebrating the Freedom of Flight,” marking more than a century of American aviation as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Where Is the Oshkosh Airshow Held?
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is held at Wittman Regional Airport, 525 West 20th Avenue, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902. The event includes access to all showplane parking areas, including homebuilts, vintage aircraft, aerobatic planes, warbirds, ultralights, lightplanes, rotorcraft, and seaplanes. Wittman Regional Airport temporarily becomes the busiest airport in the world during AirVenture week.
What Are the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Air Show Times?
The 9 air shows at Oshkosh 2026 are split across 7 afternoon sessions and 2 night sessions. Daily afternoon air shows are presented by Daher.
|
Date |
Air Show Format |
|
Monday 20 July |
Afternoon air show |
|
Tuesday 21 July |
Afternoon air show |
|
Wednesday 22 July |
Afternoon + Night air show (Covington Aircraft) |
|
Thursday 23 July |
Afternoon air show |
|
Friday 24 July |
Afternoon air show |
|
Saturday 25 July |
Afternoon + Night air show (Hartzell Propeller) |
|
Sunday 26 July |
Afternoon air show |
Daily afternoon air shows are presented by Daher, the July 22 night air show is presented by Covington Aircraft, and the July 25 night air show is presented by Hartzell Propeller.
What Aircraft and Performers Are Confirmed for Oshkosh 2026?
Oshkosh 2026 has confirmed 8 headline performers and aircraft for its afternoon and night air show programmes. Confirmed performers and aircraft include the USAF F-16 Demo Team, USAF F-22 Demo Team, and The Flying Bulls from Austria.
The confirmed 2026 performer list includes:
- USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon Demo Team — high-speed jet demonstration
- USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team — stealth fighter aerobatic display
- The Flying Bulls P-38 Lightning — Europe’s only airworthy P-38, from Salzburg, Austria
- The Flying Bulls DC-6B — restored piston airliner, transatlantic flight to Oshkosh
- Red Bull Air Force — skydiving and wingsuit aerobatic team
- U.S. Army Golden Knights — military parachute demonstration team
- WSK-Mielec SB Lim-5 (MiG-17F) — rare Eastern Bloc jet fighter display
- Bernie Vasquez in “Bonnie” — P-51 Mustang aerobatic performer
Rick Larsen, EAA’s Vice President of Communities and Member Programs, confirmed: “This year the air shows will also be celebrating America’s 250th birthday and already feature the best of the best, with even more confirmations to come.”
What Warbirds Are Expected at Oshkosh 2026?
At least 3 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings are expected at Oshkosh 2026 — an exceptionally rare gathering of this type. In addition, 2 newly completed North American P-51 Mustang restorations and a recently restored Curtiss P-40 are expected to make their public debuts, offering attendees a first look at these freshly returned warbirds.
The 5 major Commemorative Air Force (CAF) heavy bombers expected at Oshkosh 2026 include:
- Boeing B-17 Sentimental Journey — ride flights available
- North American B-25 Maid in the Shade — ride flights available
- Consolidated B-24 Diamond Lil — static and flying display
- Boeing B-17 Movie Memphis Belle — pending maintenance completion
- Boeing B-29 Doc — rare flying Superfortress
The Flying Bulls’ Lockheed P-38, formerly owned by iconic warbird pilot Lefty Gardner, is currently the only airworthy example of the type operating in Europe. Originally built in the United States, it is now based at The Flying Bulls’ Hangar-7 facility in Salzburg and serves as a striking representative of the twin-boom WWII fighter.
How Much Are EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Tickets?
Youth aged 18 and under are admitted free to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 with a ticketed adult. Free youth admission is supported in part by The Boeing Company and is designed to encourage more aviation-minded families and their children to attend the event.
EAA non-member veterans enjoy 25–30% discounts daily. Tickets purchased before 15 June 2026 qualify for Early Bird pricing.
Ticket categories include:
- Daily adult admission — single-day entry wristband
- Weekly admission — full 7-day access pass
- Weekend package — arrives Friday 24 July; includes 2 adult wristbands for Saturday and Sunday, 1 EAA membership, and 3-night camping
- Aviator Club tickets — premium seating, North and South locations
Additional purchasable items include auto parking passes, Camp Scholler camping credentials, B-25 ride flights, and Ford Tri-Motor flights.
What Is Camp Scholler at Oshkosh Airshow?
Camp Scholler is the on-site campground at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, located directly on the airshow grounds at Wittman Regional Airport. Camp Scholler provides the utmost convenience for attendees who want to be close to the action. Each campsite measures approximately 20 feet by 30 feet, with specific locations available on a first-come, first-served basis with a 3-night minimum.
General aircraft camping is available at $42 per day. No pre-registration is required, and airplane campsites are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis with a 3-night minimum. One tent per airplane is permitted unless a second tent is needed for immediate family members.
What Is the Theme of Oshkosh Airshow 2026?
The 2026 Oshkosh airshow theme is “Celebrating the Freedom of Flight,” honouring America’s 250th anniversary. Homebuilt aircraft with patriotic-based paint schemes have a special dedicated parking area during the 2026 event. Organisers say the theme is visible throughout, from exhibits exploring the earliest years of American aviation to the air show programme itself.
AirVenture 2026 celebrates the earliest years of aviation through the Pioneers of Flight display in the EAA Vintage area. This exhibit features both original and reproduction aircraft representing the first 25 years of powered flight, including the Seattle II — a replica of the Douglas World Cruiser that completed the first aerial circumnavigation of the globe in 1924.
What Are Future EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Dates?
EAA has confirmed AirVenture dates through 2029, giving visitors 4 years of advance planning. Confirmed annual dates are all held in the last week of July at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
|
Year |
Dates |
|
2026 |
20–26 July |
|
2027 |
19–25 July (est.) |
|
2028 |
18–24 July (est.) |
|
2029 |
17–23 July (est.) |
EAA stated the long-term schedule helps attendees and event organisers plan ahead. The 2025 AirVenture drew a record 704,000 visitors from 94 nations.
Key Facts: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 at a Glance
|
Detail |
Information |
|
Dates |
Monday 20 – Sunday 26 July 2026 |
|
Location |
Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI 54902 |
|
Air shows |
9 total — 7 afternoon, 2 night |
|
Night shows |
22 July and 25 July |
|
Theme |
Celebrating the Freedom of Flight |
|
Under-18 admission |
Free with ticketed adult |
|
Veterans discount |
25–30% off daily |
|
Early Bird deadline |
15 June 2026 |
|
Aircraft attendance |
10,000+ aircraft |
|
Expected visitors |
600,000+ |
|
Aircraft camping |
$42 per day |
|
Economic impact |
$257 million |
|
Official website |
eaa.org/airventure |
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 is the world’s largest and most diverse aviation event. Its America 250 theme, confirmed F-22 and F-16 demo teams, rare P-38 Lightning appearances, and free youth admission make the 2026 edition one of the most significant in the convention’s 73-year history.
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.