The Midlands Airshow 2026 — officially the Midlands Air Festival — takes place from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May 2026 at Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5NJ. Now in its 8th year, it is one of the UK’s most distinctive aviation events, combining daytime flying displays, the Nightfire evening spectacular, and one of Europe’s largest gatherings of hot air balloons.
For official aviation safety context, see the UK Civil Aviation Authority. For the previous guide in this series, see Manston International Airshow: History, Aircraft, Cancellations, and 2027 Plans.
What Is the Midlands Air Festival?
The Midlands Air Festival is set against the backdrop of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. It is one of the UK’s most distinctive aviation events, combining daytime flying displays with hot air balloon launches and evening Nightfire shows. The programme ranges from historic warbirds and aerobatic aircraft to modern military types, with balloon ascents at sunrise adding a unique dimension to the weekend.
The event features over 100 hot air balloons and more than 45 aircraft displaying across 3 action-packed days, alongside multiple exhibitors, rides, and entertainment.
When and Where Is the Midlands Airshow 2026?
The Midlands Air Festival takes place from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May 2026 at Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5NJ.
| Detail | Information |
| Dates | Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May 2026 |
| Location | Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5NJ |
| Edition | 8th year |
| Organiser | Slipstream Management Limited |
| Flying Display Director | Trevor Graham |
| Children Under 13 | Free with paying adult |
| Standard Parking | Free |
Ragley Hall is a stately home 8 miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon, completed in 1750. It is the ancestral seat of the Marquess of Hertford and is currently the family home of the 9th Marquess and Marchioness.
What Are the Display Timings for the Midlands Airshow 2026?
The flying display timings for 2026 are as follows:
- Friday: Air Display 15:00–18:30; Pyrotechnic Aircraft Displays 21:20–21:45
- Saturday: Air Display Part One 12:00–14:45; Part Two 15:45–18:30
- Sunday: Air Display Part One 12:00–14:45; Part Two 15:45–18:30
Which Aircraft Are Confirmed for the Midlands Airshow 2026?
The annual occasion showcases the iconic red jets of the RAF Red Arrows, the legendary Spitfire, Hurricane, and DC3 Dakota of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the breathtaking mass parachute team of the RAF Falcons.
There are 7 headline acts and performers confirmed for 2026:
RAF Display Teams:
- RAF Red Arrows (all 3 days)
- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight — Spitfire, Hurricane, DC3 Dakota (all 3 days)
- RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team (all 3 days)
International and Rare Aircraft:
- MiG 17F jet fighter (Poland)
- Grumman Turbo Firecat fire bomber (France)
- B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B
- Westland Whirlwind search and rescue helicopter
Warbirds and Civilian:
- P-51 Mustang ‘Marinell’ (all 3 days)
- Team Raven — largest civilian display team in the UK
- Harvard WWII warbird trainer
- Rolls-Royce Spitfire
### Are the Red Arrows Performing at the Midlands Air Festival 2026?
Yes. The Midlands Air Festival 2026 confirms the Red Arrows’ 2026 routine, led by Wing Commander Sasha Nash — its first female commanding officer. Wing Commander Nash replaced Wing Commander Adam Collins and is responsible for the 150-strong unit based at RAF Waddington.
Their appearance at the Midlands Air Festival is the first chance for spectators to witness the team’s new season display at an inland UK airshow.
### What Makes the MiG 17F at the Midlands Airshow Significant?
The 2026 Midlands Air Festival welcomes the first appearance of the MiG 17F from Poland, flown and operated by Fubar Aviation. It is the only airworthy MiG 17F in Europe.
### What Is the Grumman Turbo Firecat Display?
The Grumman Turbo Firecat from France performs its very first fire-bombing demonstration in the UK, dropping over 3,000 litres of water in just 4 seconds.
### Which Helicopter Is Making Its Return at the Midlands Air Festival?
The world’s only Westland Whirlwind historic search and rescue helicopter makes its first display appearance following a lengthy restoration.
What Is the Nightfire Show at the Midlands Airshow?
The Nightfire show is the signature Friday evening event that sets the Midlands Air Festival apart from all other UK airshows.
On Friday, the Nightfire event starts with a hot air balloon mass ascent of over 100 balloons, leading into nighttime displays of Radio-Controlled Pyro Aircraft, the Sydney Charles Display Team, and Extra 300S pyrotechnic air displays. The event concludes with a choreographed balloon night glow and a stunning firework finale.
The Friday Nightfire event features night-time aerobatics with aircraft pyrotechnics lit by computer-controlled lighting systems, followed by a hot air balloon glow — balloons inflated and burning to a choreographed music track — and a fireworks finale.
What Is the Hot Air Balloon Festival at the Midlands Airshow?
Balloon enthusiasts benefit from more than 100 vibrant, multicoloured round hot air balloons, as well as an extraordinary array of enormous special shape character balloons. Standout attractions include the exceptionally rare Harley Davidson motor bike balloon — a truly colossal spectacle that has not graced British skies in over 40 years.
Other crowd-pleasers include Iggy the Purple Dragon, Thomas the Tank Engine, Smiley Scarecrow, Finley the Turtle, and Busby the King’s Guardsman, among the 27 specially shaped balloons appearing as part of the largest collection of special shapes at any UK airshow.
There are 3 types of balloon launches across the weekend:
- Friday Nightfire — mass ascent of 100+ balloons at dusk into the choreographed balloon night glow
- Morning ascents — exclusive early access for campers on Saturday and Sunday mornings
- Evening ascents — late-night launches on Saturday and Sunday, subject to weather
How Much Are Midlands Airshow 2026 Tickets?
Day tickets are available as 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day passes through the Midlands Air Festival website. The event is free for children under 13 when accompanied by a paying adult. Standard parking is also free.
Tickets, especially for Saturday, premium car parking, and seats in the crowd line enclosure are already low and selling fast. Camping spaces are nearly all sold too.
Is Camping Available at the Midlands Airshow 2026?
The onsite camping experience returns and is available for up to 4 nights. Facilities include food and bar, Wi-Fi hotspot, toilets, showers, electric hook-up, and exclusive entertainment. A full range of camping, caravanning, and live-in vehicle options are available, all within walking distance of the event site with 24-hour office and security patrols.
Camping entertainment includes getting up close to model hot air balloons on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, campers receive exclusive access to the hot air balloon mass ascent. On Saturday evening, a local acoustic act rounds off the day. Camping is only available to those who have purchased 3-day festival tickets.
What Is the History of the Midlands Air Festival?
The Midlands Air Festival was a new aviation event in 2018, taking place in the historic grounds of the Ragley Hall estate. For its second year in 2019, it moved to Arbury Hall, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, but has since returned to Ragley Hall. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19. The festival returned in 2021 and has remained at Ragley Hall ever since.
The event has grown across its 8 editions into one of the UK’s most attended aviation weekends. Key characteristics that distinguish it from other UK airshows include:
- The Nightfire Friday evening spectacular — unique in the UK airshow calendar
- Over 100 hot air balloons — the largest gathering in Europe
- 27 special shape character balloons — the largest collection at any UK event
- A mix of military jets, warbirds, and international display aircraft
- A fully integrated camping and caravanning site at Ragley Hall
The Midlands Air Festival 2026 delivers 7 confirmed headline acts, Europe’s largest balloon gathering, the UK debut of the MiG 17F, a world-first fire-bombing display, and the UK’s first female Red Arrows leader — all across 3 days at one of England’s finest stately homes. Tickets are selling fast; book now at midlandsairfestival.com before Saturday passes sell out.
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.
