Organisers of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) are asking for people to share their memories of the aviation showcase as they celebrate 40 years since moving to RAF Fairford.
This summer’s show marks four decades since Air Tattoo first touched down in Gloucestershire, with 32 shows taking place at the rural airfield since then.
As part of the celebrations, the event is set to have a heritage area on the showground to recognise the show’s history and organisers are looking for people to contribute with their photos and memories of attending the show.
To take part, you will need to email your photos and stories to 40Years@rafcte.com for a chance for them to feature on a memory wall at this year’s show, which is due to take place from Friday 18th-Sunday 20th July.
Chief Executive Officer, Paul Atherton said: “We are hugely proud of our relationship with RAF Fairford and the local area and are looking forward to celebrating it at this summer’s event.
“Since 1985 we have been inviting people and aircraft from all over the world to be a part of what we do, and we would love to be able to share some of your memories with visitors who are joining us this year.”
With less than 75 days to go until this summer’s event, RIAT have already announced over 50 different aircraft including the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, Swedish Air Force Blackhawk and a Royal Danish Air Force F-16.
This week we have more additions to the flying display with the Royal Navy Black Cats.
Returning after wowing the crowd last year, where they picked up the Steedman Display Sword for the British participant with the most notable contribution, we can’t wait to see what they have in store for you this summer.
Elsewhere and part of our Eyes in the Skies theme, we’ve got a Boeing E-3F Sentry on static courtesy of the French Air & Space Force as well as Royal Navy Merlin and privately owned Piper Super Cub – which has only been seen at RIAT once before – as well as a Defender from the Finnish Army. We are aware of incidents involving aircraft which are due to display at RIAT25. We await news from their respective national authorities on any impact to their appearance at the show and will update in due course.
Tickets for this year’s show are flying and with aviation in the news this week following the RAF’s incredible flypast to commemorate 80 years since VE Day.
In total there were over 20 different types of aircraft taking part and if you’d like to catch a glimpse of some of them again, you can at this year’s RIAT!
Less than 2000 Saturday and 1000 Friday Tickets left… don’t miss out!
This week we have another F-16 added to the flying display, this time from the Polish Air Force! They will bring their ‘Tiger Demo Team’ to perform in the flying display.
In addition, four additions to the static line! The Irish Air Corps will bring their Pilatus PC-12NG and AW139 helicopter. The Commemorative Air Force will be extending their ‘Navy to Victory’ Tour with their Douglas R4D-6S “Ready for Duty” aircraft to include an appearance at RIAT25. This will be part of our theme celebrating 40 years since the first Air Tattoo was held at RAF Fairford in 1985, as the aircraft was here at IAT85. Finally, we add another classic jet to the lineup with a Fouga Magister, privately operated in France.
Time is running out to secure your place at RIAT25. We now have less than 5000 general admission tickets left for Saturday. And Friday is hot on its heels.
We only have one enclosure left for Saturday now which is Altitude. If you want to upgrade your experience then you need to act now! We don’t want you to miss out on all the incredible aircraft we have lined up for this year’s show. So book your ticket today while you still can! We can’t wait to see you all there.
Organisers of The Royal International Air Tattoo have confirmed tickets for this year’s show are selling at record speed for the third successive year.
The event, which is held at RAF Fairford, has already sold over 100,000 tickets for this year’s show, putting them ahead of the same time last year.
Last July, 168,000 people descended on the rural airfield for three days of aerobatic displays, interactive tech exhibits and the chance to talk to pilots and their crew, and this year looks to be no different with demand for tickets at an all-time high.
With Saturday 19th July close to selling out, organisers have recently announced the Italian display team, the Frecce Tricolori will be performing over the Gloucestershire skies this summer.
Joining the Frecce are a further three flying displays and three static displays from the Italian Air Force. These join an already extensive list of aircraft from 15 nations confirmed for RIAT, with many more aircraft to be added to the line-up in the coming weeks.
Head of Air Operations at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, Peter Reoch said: “The Frecce Tricolori are always a welcome addition to the RIAT flying programme and visitors who joined us in 2022 will know how impressive and energetic their display is to watch.
“We’re grateful to the Italian Air Force for their continued support and look forward to welcoming their aircraft and crew to RAF Fairford later this year.”
In just over three months, RIAT will return and highlight the importance of aviation in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and more, under the theme of ‘Eyes in the Skies’.
So far, the aviation show case has announced the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, a Spanish Navy Harrier as well as a Portuguese Merlin, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Danish F-16 and Swedish Black Hawk helicopter displaying for the first time with a number of announcements still to come.
“We are looking forward to this summer’s show, we already have some great aircraft confirmed to be taking part and will be adding to the line-up right up until the show later this year,” added Peter
“Ticket sales have been incredible, at RIAT we know our event is an incredible day out whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a family with young children or someone who has never been to the event before – we have something for everyone. Tickets are available via www.airtattoo.com
This week’s update has something for everyone with theme-related aircraft and RIAT debutants!
Starting with our theme of ‘Eyes in the Skies’, we are delighted to say we will be joined in July by a pairs display of photo-reconnaissance Spitfires, with a Mk.XI and Mk.XIX flying together to showcase both the Merlin and Griffon engine Spitfires in a distinctive blue colour scheme.
Elsewhere we have another rare addition to the static display from the Spanish Air & Space Force with their CASA VIGMA aircraft, plus a pair of Mirage 2000-5 aircraft from the Hellenic Air Force this summer will mark the first time these jets have ever participated at the Air Tattoo! Rounding off this week, we have two more civilian aircraft participating in the static display with a pair of ex-RAF Bulldog training aircraft.
Last chance! Early bird pricing for Sunday ends midnight, Tuesday 22nd April
We extended our early bird pricing for general admission Sunday, and 5% off Sunday enclosures through Easter. And now it’s your last chance to get your Sunday tickets at a discounted price. Act now before it’s too late! All tickets will be at full price from Tuesday 22nd April at midnight.
All enclosures on Saturday are now SOLD OUT, apart from Altitude. If you want to upgrade your experience you will need to be very quick as we expect it follow suit and sell out soon. Friday is selling much faster than last year and Sunday is catching up. Don’t miss out, we know you’ll be disappointed if you do. Buy your tickets today!
Always a popular sight and a welcome addition to the flying programme, the iconic jet will be participating in this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo.
Also in this week’s announcement, we have a Slovak Air Force C-27J Spartan on the static line-up as well as a further four civilian aircraft with two Soko J-20 Kraguj and a pair of DHC Chipmunk T.10s which will also be lining up on the tarmac.
Tickets are flying out – there are less than 10,000 tickets remaining for Saturday, so be quick to secure your place. Only the Family Enclosure, FRIAT and Altitude still have space in their enclosures.
Friday is also seeing high demand, selling faster than ever before! Sunday is still at Early Bird prices, so this is a great opportunity to get your tickets at the best price available now.
This week we have a double dose of F-16s with the Royal Danish Air Force flying their fast jets into RAF Fairford for this summer’s show.
Both aircraft are from the Eskadrille 727 squadron – one in a striking red and silver livery taking part in the flying display, and the other featuring on static display as part of our celebration of 40 years of RIAT at RAF Fairford, representing the Danish F-16B which featured at the 1985 show.
Elsewhere, under our Eyes in the Skies theme, we’re pleased to welcome the German Navy back to RIAT, with their classic Westland Sea Lynx helicopter. This might be the final time to see this type appear at the show, so not to be missed.
Finishing for the week, we’re pleased to announce a Dornier Do 27, coming from Switzerland. As always, our website has more details on this week’s update and the full aircraft participation list to date.
With five of our Saturday enclosures already SOLD OUT it’s time to act now to avoid disappointment. Upgrading to an enclosure is a great way to make a special day even more amazing.
We think you’ll love our new enclosure, Altitude. Located at the heart of the showground, perfect as a base to browse the static aircraft from, as well as a great spot to watch the flying displays. Altitude offers something completely different with upper deck viewing spaces and a cool, contemporary vibe. As well as an all-inclusive cocktail bar with selected wine, prosecco, beer, cider, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks and complimentary food served throughout the day. Once the flying display has finished the festivities continue with an exclusive DJ music set in the enclosure.
Tickets for the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) have been selling even faster than last year, so don’t delay and buy yours today HERE.
It’s Guten Tag from Germany this week as the German Air Force confirms their participation in RIAT25.
For the flying display, we are excited to add an Airbus A400M to the line-up in a display that will demonstrate the aircraft’s agility despite its size. We’ve also got a further four aircraft making the trip to RAF Fairford, for static display.
Firstly, RIAT favourites, we’ve got a pair of Panavia Tornados. Joining them on the tarmac and following up on some recent RIAT rarities, we have a new arrival from Germany, with their C-130J Hercules and a special forces H145M which has only been sighted at a British airshow once before! Bringing this week’s update to a close, there is a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota for static display. Incredibly, this aircraft also visited the show the first time it was hosted at RAF Fairford back in 1985.
Moving over to Sweden, we have a RIAT debut in the flying display with a Sikorsky Hkp16 Black Hawk joining the line-up with another one lining up on static display this July in what is a great addition to this year’s programme. Rounding off this week’s update, we also have a civilian-owned Hawker Hunter T.72 and a Rheims-Cessna F152 on static.
The Royal Air Force has become the latest to confirm their participation at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) by announcing the Red Arrows, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Typhoon will be touching down at RAF Fairford in July.
So far, the aviation showcase has announced 40 aircraft from 11 different nations, ranging from everything to helicopters and fast jets to huge transport aircraft – with almost 20 weeks still remaining until this year’s show.
Not only have aircraft confirmed their attendance, to date organisers say over 80,000 people have secured their spot at the event which takes place on Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th of July.
This year’s show will be celebrating the role of aviation in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue and more under the theme of ‘Eyes in the Skies’. This July also marks 40 years since the Air Tattoo first moved to RAF Fairford.
Squadron Leader Jon Bond, Team Leader of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team and Red 1, said: “The Red Arrows have a great deal of heritage with RAF Fairford – having been based there in the team’s earliest days until a move late in 1966.
“This strong, historic connection with the airfield is one of the many reasons why displaying at RIAT is always a special moment for the Red Arrows.
“However, what makes performing at RIAT particularly enjoyable, is knowing just how many families are there, watching and enjoying the event and understanding the opportunity we have, as a display team, to hopefully inspire future aviators.
“RIAT also gives the Red Arrows team – both air and ground crew – a good chance to meet countless people and we can’t wait to see everyone and display our brand new 2025 show.”
Joining the Red Arrows at this year’s show will also be iconic warbirds from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, as well as the RAF’s modern-day combat Typhoon aircraft.
In addition to the iconic nine-ship display team, the announcement also sees the return of the BBMF Spitfire, which will be participating alongside fellow historic aircraft in the Lancaster and Hurricane. They join an already exciting line-up of aircraft, including displays never seen before at the Air Tattoo such as the Swedish Black Hawk and Portuguese Merlin.
Chief Executive Officer at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, Paul Atherton, said: “The Red Arrows announcement is always met with huge excitement from our visitors and rightfully so as they fly the flag for United Kingdom and the Royal Air Force around the world.
“We are very lucky to have them with us across the weekend and there will plenty of opportunities for people to engage with the pilots and their groundcrews while they are with us in the Cotswolds.
“This announcement also sees the return of BBMF which will be a welcome sight as well as the Typhoon, which of course flew on sustainable aviation fuel for the first time when it was with us in 2024.” Participating aircraft are unveiled on a weekly basis via Air Tattoo social channels, with tickets available via www.AirTattoo.com.
