Sidmouth Regatta Airshow: The Red Arrows over Lyme Bay

VonSelect Sidmouth

Every summer, the Red Arrows roar across Lyme Bay and thousands of people line Sidmouth’s seafront to watch. The Sidmouth Regatta Airshow, organised by Sidmouth Town Council, is one of the highlights of the town’s year, and it is free to watch.

The Red Arrows over Sidmouth

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, have headlined the airshow in recent years, including 2025 and 2026. Watching their red jets trail red, white and blue smoke over the red cliffs of the Jurassic Coast is a sight that brings the whole town out.

The 2026 airshow

The 2026 Regatta weekend ran from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August, with the airshow on the Friday afternoon from approximately 4pm. The published flying line-up included:

  • The Sidmouth and Exmouth lifeboat display
  • The Stampe Display Team, with 1930s barnstorming biplanes
  • Rich Goodwin’s Jet Pitts Muscle Plane
  • The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight C47 Dakota, making its first Sidmouth appearance
  • Navy Wings’ Fairey Swordfish
  • The Aerosuperbatics Wing Walkers duo
  • The RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows

As always, display times and attendance depend on the weather and aircraft availability.

More than an airshow: the Regatta weekend

The airshow opens a weekend of seaside events. In 2026 the programme included sailing and gig races, a surf lifesaving competition, a raft race, a three-legged race, a food court and bar on The Ham, and a grand fireworks display on the Saturday evening.

Planning your visit

  • Dates for next year: the Regatta and Airshow is usually held in late August. Dates for 2027 have not yet been announced, so check the Sidmouth Town Council website for confirmed details and the line-up.
  • Where to watch: the displays take place over the sea, so the seafront and Esplanade are the natural place to watch. Arrive early to find a good spot.
  • Book ahead: the Regatta weekend is one of the busiest in Sidmouth’s calendar, so book your accommodation early.
  • Check on the day: flying displays can change or be cancelled at short notice because of weather or operational reasons.

Make a weekend of it

Compare hotels and guesthouses on our Unterkünfte page, and see Taste Sidmouth for somewhere to eat between the displays and the fireworks. While you are on the seafront, please consider supporting Sidmouth Lifeboat, the volunteers who keep watch over this coast all year round.

Details are taken from Sidmouth Town Council and published airshow listings for 2026. The programme changes each year, so please check the latest information before you travel.

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