Nearly half a million people visited this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival over its three days, according to new figures from BCP Council.
It was the last festival to be managed, run and funded by the council.
Leader, Cllr Millie Earl, said the authority is talking to a potential operator about future festivals.
A report is due to go to the council’s cabinet in the autumn which will include further information on how the 2024 festival has met income targets set last year.
Hundreds of BCP council staff from teams including seafront rangers, Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSAS), economic development, commercial operations, seafront cleansing and communications, worked with dozens of partners, including emergency services, Armed Forces, sponsors and traders to pull off this year’s festival.
A firework display and performance by the RAF Typhoon jet fighter closed the event.
Amanda Barrie, Air Festival Director, BCP Council said: “Putting together an event of this magnitude means a huge amount of partnership working and months of planning.
“Nearly half a million people visited the festival over the three days.
“I would particularly like to thank the emergency services including Dorset Police, South West Ambulance Service, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service and the Coastguard, along with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
“Special thanks of course go to the Armed Forces – the RAF, the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Marines, all of whom play their part in creating entertainment throughout the festival site and in the skies.
“Huge thanks also to all the BCP council staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to put together this mammoth programme, ensuring it was delivered to exceptional standard.
“Last, but not least, thanks to our sponsors, hospitality partners and traders, who helped provide some of the best experiences and tasty delights our area has to offer.”
Cllr Earl said: “A lot of work has gone into the Bournemouth Air Festival 2024 – thank you to everyone who has worked with us to deliver this event to an incredibly high professional standard.
“We are currently working on what a potential future air festival may look like and are talking to a potential future operator for future years.
“No decision has been made yet and any decision needs to go through the full democratic process.
“A report is due to go to the council’s cabinet in the autumn, which will include further information on how this year’s festival has met income targets set last year.
“A potential future operator could decide to press the pause button on a future air festival in 2025 to allow time to plan and refresh the event for 2026.
“We will update residents, businesses and visitors as soon as we can.
“We have been open and transparent about 2024 being the last council-funded Bournemouth Air Festival, bearing in mind the financial challenges we are facing as a council.
“This is reflective of the unprecedented financial pressure that local authorities are facing up and down country and the difficult decisions we have all faced to prevent cuts to services much valued by residents.”
- Picture: BCP Council.