The Headcorn Airshow 2026 is confirmed for 27–28 June 2026 at Headcorn Aerodrome, Shenley Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 9HX. The event runs under a new name — the Headcorn International Airshow — and features world-class flying displays, historic aircraft, family entertainment, and VIP hospitality. This article covers dates, tickets, confirmed aircraft, the history of the site, and how to get there.
For official aviation safety context, see the UK Civil Aviation Authority. For the previous guide in this series, see Southport Airshow 2026 Times, Dates, and 5 Key Facts for the North West’s Largest Air Display.
What Is the Headcorn International Airshow?
The Headcorn International Airshow is a newly launched aviation event at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent, building on more than a decade of successful heritage events. It promises historic warbirds, civilian aerobatics, and a festival-style ground display.
The show celebrates aviation in all its forms — from the earliest years of powered flight to classic warbirds through to electronic aircraft of the future.
Why Is the 2026 Show Called the Headcorn International Airshow?
Previous airshows at Headcorn were entitled the Battle of Britain Airshow and featured representative aircraft of the Battle of Britain era. A commercial disagreement between businesses at the airfield and Aero Legends — a disagreement referred to legal counsel — led to the rebrand. In March 2026, Aero Legends announced a separate Battle of Britain Airshow at RAF Woodchurch, Ashford, on 8–9 August 2026.
The new Headcorn International Airshow maintains the warbird DNA that made Headcorn beloved while broadening the programme to include civilian aerobatics, modern classics, and a refreshed ground show.
When Is the Headcorn Airshow 2026?
The Headcorn Airshow 2026 takes place on 27–28 June 2026. There are 3 distinct event days in total:
- Friday 26 June — Arrivals Day and Schools & Seniors Day
- Saturday 27 June — Main show day
- Sunday 28 June — Main show day
The Friday, 26 June, has been earmarked as Schools & Seniors Day — a community preview day to give local groups a chance to experience the airshow atmosphere before the crowds arrive, with opportunities to see flight rehearsals and aircraft movements.
What Is Wings and Whiskers at Headcorn 2026?
The evening before the main show, on Friday 26 June, Headcorn Aerodrome hosts Wings and Whiskers — a charity evening in support of The Big Cat Sanctuary. Combining live music and iconic aircraft with food and drink, the event runs from 7pm to 11pm and features a Michael Bublé tribute show.
What Aircraft Are Confirmed for the Headcorn Airshow 2026?
The 2026 edition showcases warbirds, modern aerobatic teams, classic jets, and diverse display aircraft, making it one of the most varied flying programmes Headcorn has ever presented.
Confirmed aircraft and display acts include:
- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight — Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane IIc
- Fokker D.VII — the only example of its kind flying in the UK
- The Starlings Aerobatic Team — featuring former British Aerobatic Champions Tom Cassells and Michael Pickin
What Is HIA Green at the Headcorn Airshow?
Headcorn is pleased to announce that the airshow features HIA Green Acts — acts that encourage sustainable aviation and green technology. This makes Headcorn 2026 one of the first UK airshows to formally integrate sustainable aviation into its display programme.
What Is on the Ground at the Headcorn Airshow 2026?
On the ground, visitors can see a diverse line-up of more than 100 futuristic and ancient static aircraft and vehicles, including both civilian and military, to see up close. The ground show also includes an international food offering and aviation traders.
How Much Are Headcorn Airshow 2026 Tickets?
Tickets for the event start at £30 per adult and £15 for children, while under 5s go free.
4 ticket tiers are available:
|
Ticket Type |
Price (Adult) |
Price (Child) |
Key Benefit |
|
General Admission |
From £30 |
From £15 |
Access to all flying displays and ground exhibits |
|
Mustang Lounge (VIP) |
From £140 |
— |
Private parking, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea |
|
Spitfire Enclosure (2-day) |
£234 |
£117 |
Walk-around Spitfire access, running Merlin engine |
|
Flight Line Premiere |
Available on site |
Available on site |
Unobstructed fence-line views next to aircraft park |
The Mustang Lounge offers a VIP experience with access to private guest parking, a cooked light breakfast, morning tea and coffee, a homemade lunch, and an afternoon tea in a private area.
Tickets for all tiers are available at headcornairshow.com.
What Is the History of Headcorn Aerodrome?
Originally farmland, the site became a First World War training school in 1914. In 1942 it was requisitioned by the Airfields Board and became Lashenden Aerodrome. The Canadian Air Force moved in during August 1943, flying Spitfire IXbs under the command of ‘Johnnie’ Johnson. The United States were later based here, flying the North American P51D Mustang, until they left in June 1945 when the airfield closed.
Today, the Lashenden Air Warfare Museum, located on the airfield, continues to preserve artefacts and stories from the wartime years, including a V-1 flying bomb and exhibits on the Canadian and American units based there.
What Makes Headcorn Aerodrome Unique for an Airshow?
The grass runway and compact crowdline create the close-up views photographers love, but they also limit the size and weight of potential visiting aircraft. Carefully selected aerobatic performers, lighter vintage types, and warbirds can shine at Headcorn in a way that would be swallowed up at a venue like RIAT.
The aerodrome is officially designated EGKH and is one of the most intimate airshow venues in the United Kingdom.
How Do You Get to the Headcorn Airshow 2026?
The aerodrome is approximately 15 minutes south of Junction 8 of the M20. The Sat Nav postcode is TN27 9HX, though organisers advise following local direction signs as soon as they are visible.
Can You Take a Train to the Headcorn Airshow?
Yes. Headcorn has its own railway station on the London Charing Cross to Ashford International line. A taxi from the station to the aerodrome takes approximately 5 minutes in normal traffic. The station is 1.5 miles from the airfield. Southeastern trains run frequent services on this route.
Car parking at the aerodrome is free and available mostly on grass.
Headcorn 2026 vs. Previous Headcorn Shows: What Has Changed?
|
Feature |
Battle of Britain Airshow (Pre-2026) |
Headcorn International Airshow 2026 |
|
Organiser |
Aero Legends |
Headcorn Aerodrome |
|
Focus |
WWII Battle of Britain era only |
Warbirds, modern acts, sustainable aviation |
|
Duration |
Originally 3 days, reduced to 2 in 2025 |
2 main days + Arrivals Day |
|
Sustainable acts |
Not featured |
HIA Green Acts confirmed |
|
Community day |
Not featured |
Schools & Seniors Day (26 June) |
|
Evening event |
Not featured |
Wings and Whiskers charity evening |
What remains constant is the promise of an intimate, close-quarters experience in a landscape steeped in history, with the added excitement of a more diverse line-up. For long-time visitors, there are still the familiar sounds of Merlins and Griffons over the Kent countryside.
Is the Headcorn Airshow 2026 Worth Attending?
The Headcorn International Airshow 2026 represents a fresh chapter for one of the UK’s most characterful aviation venues. By combining the intimacy and heritage that long-time visitors love with a wider variety of displays and a more vibrant ground festival, the event aims to secure its place as a major summer highlight in the British airshow calendar.
With over 100 static aircraft, confirmed displays from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, HIA Green acts, and a new VIP programme, the 2026 Headcorn Airshow delivers one of the most varied and accessible aviation events in the South East of England.
Tickets are on sale now at headcornairshow.com. The show takes place 27–28 June 2026 at Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent TN27 9HX.
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.