The Royal International Air Tattoo will move from RAF Fairford to MOD Boscombe Down for RIAT27 and future events, ending more than four decades in Gloucestershire months after this year’s show was cancelled over access to the base, according to the organisers.
Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises said the Wiltshire site, which QinetiQ runs on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, offers the space, capability and flexibility the show needs, and will allow it to strengthen international participation and add new attractions. The organiser will stay headquartered in Fairford, with only flying operations moving. Further details of RIAT27, including aircraft and international delegations, are due over the coming months. Ticket sales fund the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, which delivered more than 500,000 STEM engagements for young people in 2025.
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: “RIAT showcases the very best of British and international aviation – inspiring thousands of young people to consider a future in air, space and technology.
“I’m delighted it has a new home at MOD Boscombe Down, a site with a proud history in aviation and innovation.”
Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, Chief of the Air Staff, said: “For more than 50 years, the Royal International Air Tattoo has brought together air forces, industry and aviation enthusiasts from around the world, creating a unique opportunity to showcase the very best of military aviation and to strengthen our international partnerships.
“RAF Fairford has been at the heart of supporting Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises in delivering RIAT for the last 40 years, demonstrating the professionalism, innovation and collaboration that underpin air and space power today. My first role as a newly commissioned RAF Officer in the summer of 1991 was to work on RIAT’s air display operations desk at RAF Fairford – the support from the base and its team was superb then, and has been every single year since. I would take this opportunity to offer a personal thank you to every member of RAF Fairford who has supported RIAT so brilliantly over these many years – we simply couldn’t have asked for better.
“As RIAT begins an exciting new chapter at MOD Boscombe Down, it will be based at a site with a rich aviation heritage and a proud history of supporting military aviation. This move secures the future of the airshow for decades into the future and enables the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust’s important work to continue inspiring future generations.
“The Royal Air Force looks forward to continuing its long-standing partnership with Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises and supporting future editions of RIAT for many years to come.”
Rupert Pearce, the UK’s National Armaments Director, said: “MOD Boscombe Down is perfectly placed to support the next chapter of RIAT’s success, providing a world-class environment that will enable the event to evolve and thrive for years to come.
“I am immensely proud to welcome the global aviation community to a NAD Group site at the forefront of UK defence and aerospace innovation, while helping to inspire future generations of pilots, engineers and innovators through the spectacle of cutting-edge aircraft.”
Air Marshal Phil Osborn, Chair of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, said: “For more than fifty years, RIAT has brought people together through a shared passion for aviation while supporting the charitable objectives of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust to promote the Royal Air Force and inspire future generations through air, space, and technology.
“This move to Boscombe Down provides the foundations needed to secure RIAT’s long-term future and strengthen its impact for decades to come.
“Every chapter in RIAT’s history has been built on the dedication of its participants, partners, volunteers and local communities. As we look ahead with confidence and ambition, we do so with enormous appreciation for the role RAF Fairford has played in helping make RIAT the remarkable event it is today.”
Organisers cancelled the 2026 show in May, citing uncertainty over access to Fairford linked to the situation in the Middle East, after discussions with the RAF and the US Air Force. The event typically draws around 150,000 visitors, and ticket holders were offered the chance to roll over to 2027. American B-1 and B-52 bombers flew from the base during US operations connected with the war with Iran, and the last of them returned to the United States in October.
Lovely that’s like half the distance from me… may be able to get the family to agree a day out.
Me too! Boscombe is my fav airfield been going there since my teens for a look around. An hour away, no more. I never went to Fairford for a RIAT.
It was at Boscombe Down in the lat 90s, I remember going. I got very sun-burned as i didn’t take a hot. It was the year a Tornado met a Mig over the North Sea and accompanied it in – the Mig flew down the runway at zero feet, I recall.