Royal International Air Tattoo leaving RAF Fairford after 40 years

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 16:45 · Archive

The Royal International Air Tattoo is leaving RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after four decades to relocate to MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.

The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is leaving RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after 40 years. Organisers announced on Wednesday that the major military aviation event will relocate to MOD Boscombe Down, close to Amesbury in Wiltshire. The move ends the show's decades-long association with the Gloucestershire airbase.

The 2027 edition of the event, scheduled for July 16 to 18, will be the first at the new location. The 2026 edition has been cancelled. Those who have already bought tickets for 2027 will not need to purchase new ones, with existing bookings remaining valid. Organisers are expected to contact ticket holders with further information about the move.

Money raised through ticket sales supports the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, which works to encourage and inspire young people through opportunities connected to aviation, space and technology. The announcement follows a security incident near RAF Fairford on 27 September, when five men were arrested after reports of suspicious vehicles. Homes were evacuated and army bomb disposal experts examined the vehicles, although no explosives were discovered. Two men, Nouman Essghir and Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, both 24, were charged under the National Security Act 2023 on 27 October.

How it is being reported

• Iconic UK air show changing permanent location after 40 yearsAn iconic UK air show is changing its location after 40 years of being based at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds.Oxfordshire Guardian · 4 Nov, 15:57
• Iconic UK air show changing permanent location after 40 yearsAn iconic UK air show is changing its location after 40 years of being based at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds.Oxford Mail · 4 Nov, 15:57

In this story: Royal International Air Tattoo · RAF Fairford · MOD Boscombe Down · Gloucestershire · Wiltshire · Royal Air Force Charitable Trust

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