The Fort Lauderdale Air Show returns May 15-16, 2027, over the beach at Birch State Park, with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Ticket prices are not out yet.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Facts come from the organizer, the Air Dot Show Tour: its Fort Lauderdale page, FAQ, parking page, viewing map, boat viewing page and its May 10 announcement of the 2027 dates. Times and parking below are from the 2026 show until the 2027 details are posted. This page is updated for each year’s show at the same address.

The Fort Lauderdale Air Show returns Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027. The show, run by the Air Dot Show Tour as “Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale,” flies over the ocean along Fort Lauderdale Beach, with show center at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are the first act announced for 2027, with more to come. Ticket prices have not been released; the organizer is taking sign-ups for an early notice and a 45% intro discount on its home page.

Know before you go

  • When: Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027
  • Show times (2026): flying from about 11:45 a.m. to about 3 p.m.; Drop Zone Beach opened at 9 a.m.
  • Where: over the beach; show center at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
  • Announced: U.S. Navy Blue Angels
  • Tickets: prices to be announced; all tickets must be bought online or by phone before you arrive
  • Organizer: box office 954-241-7937, fortlauderdaleairshow.com

The show

The air show is a beach flyover: there are no planes parked on the ground to tour, though there is a large vendor area, according to the FAQ. The flying area, which the organizer calls the aerobatic box, is two miles wide and centered on Birch State Park. The aircraft fly from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. All the major acts fly both days, and each day’s running order is posted one to two weeks before the show.

Expect practice flights in the days before the show. The organizer does not publish the practice schedule because it changes, and points people to its social media for arrival news.

Tickets and viewing areas

Watching from the public beach is free. The organizer sells four kinds of premium viewing, listed on its viewing map; 2027 prices were still “tba” when we checked.

  • Drop Zone Beach: a reserved beach area closest to show center, with live narration, food and drink stands and portable restrooms. Children 5 and under get in free.
  • Sand Boxes: a private 10-by-12-foot spot in the sand that you choose in advance, for up to four people. A fifth ticket for a child 12 or under can be added through the box office.
  • Flight Line Club VIP: a private beach area at show center with tents, chairs, a catered lunch, a beer and wine bar, air-conditioned restrooms and a parking pass in Birch State Park. Children 2 and under sit on a lap for free.
  • VIP Penthouse: viewing from 10 floors up at the Pelican Grand, with food, an open bar and preferred parking.

Every ticket has to be bought online or by phone before you get to the show. Ticketed guests get a wristband and can leave and come back during the day. The narration is heard only in the ticketed areas; there is no radio broadcast.

Road closures

During the show, A1A is closed to cars along the show area, and security keeps people moving on the closed road: setting up chairs on the street is not allowed, the FAQ says. The 2027 closure times had not been published when we checked; this page will add them, and the city’s notices appear on the road construction and closures page.

Parking and getting there

From the organizer’s parking page and FAQ, for the 2026 show:

  • Galleria Mall, Sunrise Boulevard: the parking the organizer points Drop Zone guests to, a short walk over the Sunrise Bridge. The organizer’s pages list different prices for the mall (the FAQ said $20 for everyone; the parking page lists free self-parking and $16 valet), so check the parking page before you go.
  • Las Olas Garage: $4 an hour, $1.50 an hour for residents, 10-hour maximum.
  • Birch State Park: permit parking only, in color-coded lots for ticket holders. Flight Line Club tickets include a pass. Free shuttles run only for Flight Line Club and Sand Box guests.
  • Water taxi: stops at the DoubleTree and Galleria Mall and at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park; the park stop closes at sunset.
  • Accessible parking is in every air show lot and in public parking around the city.

Watching from a boat

Boats can watch from the eastern edge of a U.S. Coast Guard safety zone, which runs about four miles parallel to the flight line and roughly a mile offshore from the show’s centerline. The zone keeps boats out of the flying area and keeps anchors off the coral reefs. The Coast Guard, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Fort Lauderdale police patrol it, and the organizer’s boat page has a map with the corner coordinates.

What to know

  • Bring: sunscreen, a beach chair and an umbrella.
  • Coolers: allowed with food and nonalcoholic drinks in the Drop Zone and Sand Box areas. Food and drinks, including alcohol, are for sale.
  • Strollers and wagons: allowed, and may be searched.
  • Not allowed: pets, tents, awnings, pop-up shades and baby tents, and grills. Smoking is banned on the beach by city ordinance.
  • Ear protection: not required, but recommended, especially for children under 5.
  • Accessibility: the show is ADA compliant, but the ticketed areas are on sand. The show does not provide beach wheelchairs; vendors sometimes rent them on site.
  • Lost and found: in a tent near show center; afterward email info@air.show.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Fort Lauderdale Air Show in 2027? Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027. In 2026 the flying program started around 11:45 a.m. and ran until about 3 p.m. both days.

Who is flying at the 2027 Fort Lauderdale Air Show? The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are the first performer announced for 2027. The organizer says more acts are to come.

Can you watch the Fort Lauderdale Air Show for free? Yes, from public beach north or south along the coast. Show center is at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. Chairs are not allowed on the closed stretch of A1A, and the ticketed beach areas sit closest to show center.

Where do you park for the Fort Lauderdale Air Show? The organizer points Drop Zone guests to the Galleria Mall on Sunrise Boulevard, a walk over the Sunrise Bridge. The Las Olas Garage is $4 an hour, or $1.50 an hour for residents. Flight Line Club tickets include parking in Birch State Park.

Can I bring a dog or a cooler to the air show? No pets. Coolers with food and nonalcoholic drinks are allowed in the Drop Zone and Sand Box areas, and strollers, wagons and beach umbrellas are allowed. Tents and grills are not.

What this means for you

  • Want a ticketed spot? Sign up on the organizer’s site for the early notice; the intro sale is advertised at 45% off.
  • Watching for free? Pick a public stretch of beach north or south of Birch State Park and arrive early.
  • Live near the beach? Expect jet noise during practice days the week before, and A1A closed along the show area on May 15-16.

Related: Mother’s Day in Fort Lauderdale, free things to do and parks and trails.