U.S. Government Shutdown Forcing Air Show Cancellations Nationwide

For three weeks now, a U.S. government shutdown has rattled air shows across the country, forcing the withdraw of all U.S. military participation to include both performers and static displays. At least initially, air show organizers have all insisted that the show must go on, relying heavily on civilian performers and foreign military participation. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds performed at both the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California and San Francisco Fleet Week in San Francisco, California. The Pacific Airshow also brought in the Royal Air Force Falcons and C-17.

This past weekend, the Amigo Airsho was forced to cancel at the very last minute Friday afternoon after receiving notice that the use of Biggs Army Airfield was no longer approved due to the government shutdown. Performers and static displays were already on site in El Paso, Texas, and event setup was nearly complete.

The Orlando Air Show, which was scheduled for this coming weekend, announced its cancellation today, stating that due to the ongoing government shutdown, the air show will not take place as scheduled. The show was relying heavily on U.S. military participation, and only had four civilian performers scheduled.

Thunder Over the Sound, scheduled for November 1-2 at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, announced its cancellation last week, stating that due to the ongoing government shutdown, event organizers can’t safely or effectively proceed with the air show as planned.

As the U.S. government shutdown extends, we extend significant disruption to the remainder of the 2025 air show season, although U.S. military demonstration teams continue to fly and maintain proficiency, hopeful that a resolution is agreed upon in the coming weeks.

For the latest updates regarding the 2025 and 2026 air show seasons, stay tuned to both our website and social media.