Red Arrows to miss Eastbourne Airshow after weather-related cancellation

The Red Arrows have withdrawn from the Eastbourne International Airshow due to adverse weather conditions in Canada, which disrupted their travel plans. The team will attempt to resume displays with upcoming events, including the Cromer Festival on August 19 and the Clacton Air Show on August 27-28.

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Red Arrows to miss Eastbourne Airshow after weather-related cancellation

Get you up to speed: When is next Red Arrows show after Eastbourne Airshow display axed | News UK

The Red Arrows stunt team has pulled out of the Eastbourne International Airshow due to a cancelled journey caused by poor weather in Canada. Their scheduled displays at this event and others have been called off, but the airshow will continue without their participation.

The Red Arrows’ engineering work has been rescheduled to take place in Canada, with hopes it will expedite their return to the planned 2026 programme. The team is expected to complete their journey from Canada to the UK by the end of this week, with performances slated for the Cromer Festival on August 19.

The Red Arrows have officially announced their withdrawal from the Eastbourne International Airshow due to adverse weather conditions in Canada, with Wing Commander Sasha Nash expressing regret for not participating and appreciation for the organisers’ understanding. Event organisers for the Cromer Festival and Clacton Air Show have confirmed that the Red Arrows are still expected to perform at upcoming events, pending their timely return from Canada.

What remains unclear — It is not confirmed when the Red Arrows will safely return from Canada to resume their display schedule.

Red Arrows to miss Eastbourne Airshow after weather-related cancellation

The first appearance of the Red Arrows' new reduced formation at the English Riviera Airshow in Torquay, Devon. (Picture: SWNS)
The Red Arrows have pulled out of the Eastbourne Airshow – so when will they next perform a display? (Picture: Harry Schofield / SWNS)

Hundreds were ready to look to the skies for the latest Red Arrows display this weekend, but unfortunately, they’re not showing up.

The daredevil stunt team was scheduled to make an appearance at the Eastbourne International Airshow this weekend, which started yesterday, but the team confirmed last week they had to pull out.

Why? Well, the pilots had completed their recent tour of the US and were due to fly from Canada to Greenland and Iceland before coming home, but their journey has been cancelled due to a ‘prolonged period of forecasted poor weather’ in Canada.

As a result, the team had to call off performances this week, including the Eastbourne International Airshow, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week.

While the Red Arrows won’t make an appearance at Eastbourne, the events are all scheduled to go ahead as planned without the planes.

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And thankfully, there are plenty of other events scheduled for the next month that the Red Arrows may attend.

So when is the next Red Arrows display?

FAIRFORD, ENGLAND - JULY 20: The Red Arrows perform at the Royal International Air Tattoo 2025 on July 20, 2025 in Fairford, England. Up to 150,000 people are expected to attend the Royal International Air Tattoo this weekend. It is the world's largest military air show, held annually in July, in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
The Red Arrows team are currently stranded in Canada due to bad weather. (Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

The stunt team is expected to leave Canada soon and return to the UK by the end of this week to refuel before continuing their worldwide tour.

If things go to plan, they’re scheduled to make an appearance at Cromer Festival for an air show on August 19 before flying to Linkoping, Sweden, for the Swedish Air Force 100th Anniversary Show.

After that, the team’s next UK shows will take place at the end of August with the Clacton Air Show on August 27 and 28, and then at the Sidmouth Regatta and Air Show on August 29.

Organisers of the Clacton Air Show and Cromer Festival have both issued statements, saying the Red Arrows are still expected to perform at this year’s events.

From September, the Red Arrows will head to Scotland, Guernsey, and Jersey, before visiting Czechia and France and then returning home- so even if you can’t make the Clacton Air Show or the Sidmouth Regatta, you’ve still got some chances of seeing them.

Full Red Arrows flight schedule for 2026

August 2026

August 16 – Lyme Regis, RNLI Lifeboat Week
August 19 – Cromer carnival and air display, Norfolk
August 22 – Swedish Air Force 100-Year Anniversary Show 2026, Linkoping, Sweden
August 23 – Swedish Air Force 100-Year Anniversary Show 2026, Linkoping, Sweden
August 27 – Clacton Air Show
August 28 – Clacton Air Show
August 29 – Sidmouth Regatta and Air Show

September 2026

September 4 – International Ayr Show Festival of Flight, Ayr, Scotland
September 5 – International Ayr Show Festival of Flight, Ayr, Scotland
September 9 – Guernsey air display
September 10 – Jersey international air display
September 12 – IWM Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show, Cambridge
September 13 – tbc
September 19 – NATO days in Ostrava, Czechia
September 20 – NATO days in Ostrava, Czechia
September 29 – Le Touquet airshow, France

October 2026

October 4 – IWM Duxford flying finale

What have the Red Arrows said?

Wing Commander Sasha Nash said last week: ‘We are very sorry the Red Arrows cannot participate at these events and we are grateful to organisers and communities for their understanding.

‘Every effort is being made to ensure the Red Arrows can recommence the busy display season as soon as possible.

‘However, safety is the only factor that will determine the timing of the team’s return from Canada.’

The RAF Red Arrows display team performs during a D-Day national commemoration event in Portsmouth, England, Wednesday, June 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)
Don’t worry, it won’t be too long before you see them in UK skies again! (Credit: AP)

In a statement, the team said scheduled engineering on the Hawks had been rearranged to make best use of time, so it took place in Canada instead of the UK.

The move would mean the return to the planned 2026 programme would be ‘as expedient and efficient as possible’.

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