Eastbourne Airshow is starting on Thursday without the Red Arrows after the aerobatics team was grounded in Canada. Stephen Holt said the missing display is a shame, but the show will still run from Thursday 13 August to Sunday 16 August.
About 750,000 visitors are expected over the four-day show. Holt said it is "so important for our town and businesses in the area, and it's bigger than just Eastbourne now."
Stephen Holt on Eastbourne Airbourne
Holt, an Eastbourne Borough Councillor, told Radio Sussex: "I'm incredibly excited. We work hard all year around to create the event." He also said: "It is a shame that they are not here, but the Red Arrows don't make Airbourne, the people make it."
That is the tension in this year’s event: the Red Arrows are usually a star attraction, but Holt said they do not define the show. The council organises Eastbourne International Airshow, and it says the event contributes about £27m a year to the local economy.
Eastbourne's seafront and heatwave
Airbourne will see planes flying over Eastbourne's seafront across the weekend, with acrobatics displays and historical planes including Spitfires and Hurricanes. Stephen Holt said the council would continue to work with partners to take precautions because of the ongoing heatwave, and he urged visitors to plan ahead to protect themselves from the heat.
On Thursday, temperatures are expected to peak at 28C. The event’s scale and the weather both point to the same practical task for visitors: arrive prepared for a crowded four days, and expect the programme to continue without the Red Arrows.
