REVEALED: Southend Council wants to bring back the airshow, with event revival talks underway

Southend City Council has confirmed it intends to bring back one of the region’s most iconic events – the Southend Airshow.

In a surprise announcement, the council has said it is now actively exploring how to restore the beloved airshow, which last took place in 2011.

The exciting news follows the roaring success of recent seafront events like the Southend Shakedown and the transformation of the traditional summer carnival into the popular Halloween Parade. Both these events have attracted thousands of visitors to Southend.

Last known as the Southend Festival of the Air, the Southend Airshow was the longest-running seafront airshow, running for 27 consecutive years. Each year the event drew tens of thousands of visitors to the seafront each May.

The return of Southend Airshow would mark a major boost for tourism, local businesses and city pride.

Council leader Daniel Cowan recently met with Jude Winstanley, the Chief Executive of London Southend Airport, to discuss the possibility of reinstating the airshow. The meeting focused on the challenges involved, particularly the financial cost of staging such an event and the airport’s current focus on post-Covid recovery.

Mr Winstanley said:

“The airport’s recovery is our top priority, and we need to focus all our efforts on increasing passenger numbers and adding new destinations. In principle, once we are meeting our growth objectives, we’d be open to working on the practicalities of how we might host the airshow again.”

Councillor Cowan acknowledged that times have changed since the airshow’s heyday but said the public appetite for the event remains strong.

“Residents tell me all the time that they want the airshow to come back, and it was the thing that made them most proud of Southend,” he said.

“Civic pride is the driving force of our administration, and I’ve always said that if we can find a way to bring the airshow back, we will do it.”

He thanked Mr Winstanley and the airport team for being open to future collaboration.

“I’m grateful to Jude and London Southend Airport for agreeing to work with us if and when the time is right, but I understand that the world has massively changed in the last 15 years and we need a bit more than just sheer will to bring the airshow back.

“If the city supports their airport to grow, I’m confident that we can get to a point where it is possible to bring the airshow back.”

Locals have long expressed a desire to see the airshow return. One resident, Maria from Westcliff, said:

“The airshow used to be the highlight of our year. It brought everyone together – families, friends, visitors from all over. We’d all love to see it come back.”

While no guarantees have been made, the council’s public commitment signals a real renewed effort to bring back one of Southend’s most cherished events.