The Old Buckenham Airshow 2026 is a 2-day public aviation event held on 25–26 July 2026 at Old Buckenham Airfield, Abbey Road, Old Buckenham, Norfolk, NR17 1PU. It is the largest airshow in Norfolk and Suffolk.
For official aviation safety context, see the UK Civil Aviation Authority. For the previous guide in this series, see Swansea Airshow 2026: Dates, Aircraft, Tickets, and 5 Key Facts.
What Is the Old Buckenham Airshow?
The Old Buckenham Airshow is Norfolk’s premier annual aviation event, combining warbird flying displays, electric aircraft demonstrations, military vehicle rides, re-enactors, and ground attractions across 2 days.
The show has been held over 2 days since 2013, having previously run as a single-day event. Each day features a 4-hour flying display programme. Old Buckenham was the only airshow included in Country Life’s list of the 100 events making up the Greatest Summer Ever.
Flying Display Director for 2026 is Rod Dean.
When and Where Is the Old Buckenham Airshow 2026?
- Dates: Saturday 25 July – Sunday 26 July 2026
- Venue: Old Buckenham Airfield, Abbey Road, Old Buckenham, Norfolk, NR17 1PU
- Gates Open: 08:30 each day
- Satnav Postcode: NR17 1PU
- What3words: rave.dragon.debating
Tickets are day-specific. A Saturday ticket is not valid on Sunday, and tickets cannot be transferred between days.
What Aircraft Are Flying at Old Buckenham Airshow 2026?
Which Aircraft Appear on Both Days?
The 2026 confirmed aircraft appearing across both days include the P-47 Thunderbolt, Mudry CAP 10, P-51D Mustang “Jersey Jerk”, P-51D Mustang “Hurry Home Honey”, NEBO Air’s Electric Arrows, Calidus Autogyro, B-17 Flying Fortress “Sally B”, Muscle Pitts piloted by Rich Goodwin, Spitfire IX MH434, de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Chipmunk, Catalina, and The Turbulent Team.
Which Aircraft Are Saturday-Only?
3 aircraft are confirmed exclusively for Saturday 25 July:
- BBMF Spitfire — Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
- Boeing 727 — operated by 2Excel Aviation
- Diamond DA42 Twinstar
The Boeing 727 is a trijet aircraft powered by 3 jet engines and measures 133 feet in length. Originally built as an airliner, the 727 served as the backbone of the airline industry from the 1960s to the 1990s and is capable of flying over 2,000 miles at just under 600 mph.
Which Aircraft Are Sunday-Only?
The BBMF Dakota ZA947 returns exclusively on Sunday. It has been some time since the Dakota last visited Old Buckenham Airshow.
What Makes the Old Buckenham Airshow 2026 Aircraft Lineup Notable?
What Is the P-47 Thunderbolt?
The P-47 Thunderbolt is a rare WWII aircraft. Fully loaded, it weighed up to 8 tonnes — equivalent to 3 Spitfires. Powered by an 18-cylinder engine producing 2,000 horsepower, it carried over a tonne of rockets and reached speeds exceeding 400 mph.
What Is the Consolidated PBY Catalina?
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a long-range patrol bomber originally designed to locate and sink enemy ships. Its capabilities expanded significantly during WWII, proving effective at convoy escort, submarine destruction, and cargo transport.
What Is the de Havilland Vampire?
The de Havilland Vampire first flew in 1946. Powered by a single jet engine, it reaches 548 mph and climbs at 4,800 feet per minute — compared to the de Havilland Chipmunk, which also first flew in 1946, reaches 138 mph, and climbs at 900 feet per minute.
Full Aircraft Schedule: Old Buckenham Airshow 2026
|
Aircraft |
Saturday 25 July |
Sunday 26 July |
|
BBMF Spitfire |
✓ |
— |
|
BBMF Dakota ZA947 |
— |
✓ |
|
Boeing 727 (2Excel Aviation) |
✓ |
— |
|
Diamond DA42 Twinstar |
✓ |
— |
|
B-17 Flying Fortress “Sally B” |
✓ |
✓ |
|
P-47 Thunderbolt |
✓ |
✓ |
|
P-51D Mustang “Jersey Jerk” |
✓ |
✓ |
|
P-51D Mustang “Hurry Home Honey” |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Spitfire IX MH434 |
✓ |
✓ |
|
de Havilland Vampire |
✓ |
✓ |
|
de Havilland Chipmunk |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Catalina (PBY) |
✓ |
✓ |
|
NEBO Air’s Electric Arrows |
✓ |
✓ |
|
RAF Falcons |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Muscle Pitts – Rich Goodwin |
✓ |
✓ |
|
The Turbulent Team |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Calidus Autogyro |
✓ |
✓ |
How Does Old Buckenham Airshow Lead in Electric Aviation?
Is Old Buckenham Airshow the First to Feature Electric Aircraft?
Yes. In 2022, Alex Rainier flew a Pipistrel Velis Electro at Old Buckenham, believed to be the first electric aircraft display at any airshow anywhere in the world.
Old Buckenham is home to the UK’s first electric aircraft charger. NEBO Air’s Electric Arrows — the world’s only electric aircraft display team — return for 2026, with Sam and Alex in the cockpit.
The show now has permission to operate 6 electric aircraft charging points, all powered by solar energy.
What Is Old Buckenham Airshow’s Sustainability Record?
Old Buckenham Airshow is one of the UK’s most environmentally active aviation events. 4 sustainability measures are in place:
- Tree planting — 40,000 trees are planted for every airshow, enough to offset 358 tonnes of CO2.
- Zero-emission power — all electricity is sourced from zero-emission providers
- Solar-powered charging — all 6 electric aircraft chargers run on solar power
- Generator elimination — cabling has been installed across the site to remove the need for diesel generators
What Ground Attractions Are at Old Buckenham Airshow 2026?
The show offers warbirds and civilian aircraft, classic and military vehicles, military vehicle rides, re-enactors, bands, and a food village.
Additional attractions include:
- Simulators and interactive aviation experiences
- NUNCATS project display — an aircraft in development designed to connect the developing world with zero emissions
- Opportunities to take the controls of aircraft via the airfield’s flying school
- Food and trade stalls (cards accepted at multiple locations)
Dogs are permitted on leads throughout the event. The airfield provides a 1-tonne dog watering point at the centre of the airshow site.
What Is the History of Old Buckenham Airfield?
Old Buckenham Airfield is a former Royal Air Force Station built in 1942–1943. During the Second World War, the United States designated it USAAF Air Station 144. The 453rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) operated B-24 Liberators from the site.
James “Jimmy” Stewart, the Hollywood actor, served as group operations officer at Old Buckenham during the spring of 1944. Fellow actor Walter Matthau was also based at the airfield.
The airfield’s WWII American connections are preserved and celebrated at the airshow through dedicated exhibitions and displays each year.
How Do You Buy Old Buckenham Airshow 2026 Tickets?
Are Tickets Available at the Gate?
No. Admission is by advanced ticket only. There are no ticket sales at the gate. Children under 12 attend free but must have a free ticket booked in advance.
Key ticket facts:
- Tickets are day-specific and cannot be transferred between days
- Booking is available online via the official Old Buckenham Airshow website
- Confirmation arrives by email, with a barcode and QR code used for entry
- Group bookings: a shared email confirmation is accepted, with check-in tracked by the number already admitted
Parking is free for all ticketholders. No additional parking charge applies, unlike at many other UK airshows.
How Do You Get to Old Buckenham Airshow 2026?
- By road: Use postcode NR17 1PU until close to the venue, then follow airshow signage. Avoid Attleborough town centre.
- By rail: Buckenham station serves the site at weekends, though services are limited. Attleborough, on the Cambridge–Norwich line, is the nearest alternative station. A taxi from Attleborough takes approximately 10 minutes.
- Accommodation: Nearby hotels and guest houses book up well in advance of the event.
Yellow directional signs are placed on the A11 and surrounding roads on airshow days. The Google Maps pin is plotted at the airfield entrance.
Sources: Old Buckenham Airshow official website, Military-Airshows.co.uk, BritishAirshows.com, Flightline UK / Air-Shows.org.uk.
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.