Red, White & Blues Pensacola Beach Airshow

Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach

2025 Pensacola Beach Air Show Set for July 9-12 Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels

PENSACOLA, Fla. (June 23, 2025) — The Santa Rosa Island Authority is proud to host the 2025 Pensacola Beach Air Show, July 9–12, featuring Pensacola’s hometown heroes—the U.S. Navy Blue Angels—as the headline act.

The four-day event includes a full lineup of top-tier aerobatic performers, ground exhibits, and military demonstrations, culminating with the official air show on Saturday, July 12.

“We’re honored to welcome tens of thousands of visitors every summer to celebrate this awe-inspiring tradition along our world-class beach,” said Robbie Schrock, SRIA Director of Administration.

Air Show Week Schedule:

  • Wednesday, July 9 – “Breakfast with the Blues”
  • Around 7:30 a.m., the Blue Angels mark their flight paths by circling overhead.
  • Thursday, July 10 – Practice Flight
  • At 2 p.m., the Blue Angels conduct an over-water practice session.
  • Friday, July 11 – Full Dress Rehearsal
  • Demonstrations begin at approximately 10:30 a.m.; Blue Angels fly at 2 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 12 – Official Pensacola Beach Air Show
  • Same schedule as Friday’s rehearsal.

Luke Carrico will make his inaugural debut as the voice of the air show on Friday and Saturday, with veteran Paul Entrekin serving as Air Boss for his 32nd year.

Before the official airspace closure, a handful of pre-show flight demonstrations will be overhead starting around 10:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, including:

  • The Black Ducks in WWII-era aircraft.
  • Sheldon Heatherington in a Zenith 75 STOL named “Redbird.”
  • Gene Valentino in an Icon A-5.
  • Tanner Matheny in a 1946 NAvion named “Olivia.”
  • Veterans Flight team in their WWII-era Stearman biplanes honoring WWII and Korean War veterans, led by Roy Kinsey.
  • HT-18 training helicopters from TAW-5 aboard NAS Whiting Field.
  • VT-10 flying T-6 Texans from TAW-6 aboard NAS Pensacola.
  • U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue demo from a MH-65E Dolphin.

At approximately 11:40 a.m., the official air box will close and the lifeguards will clear the water. Shortly following, hold onto your hats for some mouth-dropping aerial performances!

2025 Official Performers Schedule:

  • USAF B-1B Lancer arrives to tease the raw power and speed of the legendary swing-wing bomber.
  • Red Bull Air Force team performs the “Presentation of the Colors” by skydiving with the American Flag – landing at show center. Expect aerobatics from helo pilot Aaron Fitzgerald and pilot Kevin Coleman in his Extra 330 SC, too.
  • B-1B Lancer comes back for more action and maneuvers to impress.
  • RJ Gritter is next overhead, flying a red, white, and blue Decathlon and bringing high-energy aerobatics to Pensacola for the first time.
  • The father-son duo of Ken and Austin Rieder with Redline Airshows will deliver formation thrills and precision flying in their RV-8s.
  • Next up, the four-man Titan Aerobatic Team performs synchronized loops and bomb bursts in their WWII-era AT-6 Texans.
  • Kevin Coleman and Aaron Fitzgerald team up again in a high-adrenaline, two-aircraft routine to finish up with the Red Bull Air Force finale before a short 10-minute water break.

Blue Angels Take Flight at 2 p.m.

As always, closing out the show at 2 p.m. will be YOUR U.S. Navy Flight Demonstrations Squadron, the Blue Angels. Look to the Gulf horizon as the famous C-130J aircraft, affectionately known as Fat Albert, followed by six signature blue and gold F-18 Super Hornets, make their way over Pensacola Beach.

For the next 45 minutes, spectators will get a glimpse of the Blues’ aeronautic maneuvers like the Diamond Dirty Loop, the Double Farvel, the Vertical Pitch, the Fleur-de-Lis, the Opposing Knife-Edge pass, and the crowd-favorite Sneak Pass. These are just a few of the mind-blowing displays of choreographed precision flying the Navy’s flight demonstration team has perfected over the past 79 years.

Know Before You Go

  • Drones are strictly prohibited during air show waiver hours.
  • Glass is not allowed on the beach.
  • Dogs are only permitted at the dog beaches on the island and must remain on leash.
  • Help us protect our beach: Please Leave Only Your Footprints.

Escambia County Shares Safety Tips for Blue Angels Weekend

With the Blue Angels ready to take to the skies for the Pensacola Beach Air Show, be sure to follow these tips from Escambia County for a safe, fun weekend in the sun:

Traffic

  • Leave early. Traffic will be heavy, and parking is limited on Pensacola Beach. To view live traffic cameras at the Casino Beach parking lot and Bob Sikes Bridge, visit MyEscambia.com/pensacolabeach.
  • Get in the fast lane to the beach with SunPass® and the reduced-price Pensacola Beach Annual Pass. Visit MyEscambia.com/PensacolaBeachPass for more information.
  • If parking is full in the core areas, take advantage of the free Pensacola Beach trolleys offered by the Santa Rosa Island Authority. East and west parking lots will be serviced by trolleys and will take beachgoers to and from Casino Beach. Click here for more information about Pensacola Beach trolley service.
  • Remember that access into and exiting the Casino Beach parking lot along Via De Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road functions in a circular configuration, with one way in and one way out. The only entrance into the parking lot is along Via De Luna Drive next to Sidelines Sports Bar & Restaurant and across the street from Flounder’s Chowder House. The only exit from the parking lot is along Fort Pickens Road near the public restrooms/Public Safety Building. 

Water Safety

Beach Rules

  • Remember to "leave no trace" and keep Pensacola Beach sea turtle-friendly. Properly dispose of trash, fill in any holes in the sand and remove belongings from the beach at the end of the day. This includes not leaving any personal property unattended on the sandy gulf beach from sunset until sunrise like umbrellas, tents, beach toys and chairs. Click here to view the Leave No Trace ordinance.

Follow all Pensacola Beach rules, including:

  • Glass containers are not allowed on the beach.
  • The west side of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier is an alcohol-free zone.
  • Open containers are not allowed off the boardwalk or outside any establishment.
  • No alcohol can be consumed in any parking lot on Santa Rosa Island.
  • No grills are allowed on the beach.
  • Dogs other than service animals are not permitted on the any of the beaches except in designated dog parks. Click here to view complete rules and boundaries for Pensacola Beach dog parks.

Cooling and First Aid Stations

Air show attendees are strongly encouraged to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water while at the beach. The Be Ready Alliance, known as BRACE, and the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce will host a cooling and hydration station at the Pensacola Beach Visitors Information Center, located in the Casino Beach parking lot near the corner of Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road. The Visitors Information Center will be open as a cooling center for those needing a break from the hot sun. 

If an air show attendee needs medical assistance, the first aid medical tent will be located in the Escambia County Sheriff's Office substation and Casino Beach Bar and Grille parking lot. 

Click here to view a full schedule for the Pensacola Beach Air Show.

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Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images