Hailed by the UK's leading vacation rentals website, Holiday Lettings, as one of the top ten things to do in August, the award-winning Bournemouth Air Festival returns in two weeks' time with a staggering line-up of aviation displays and three nights of chart-topping live music thanks to support from the armed forces, business partners and independent patrons.

Everyone's favourite aerobatic crowd-pleasers, the Red Arrows, are once again displaying on all four days of the festival thanks to Morgan Sindall and support from local businesses is enabling organisers to bring brand new shows to the 2016 festival – with the Cumberland Hotel sponsoring the Swiss Air Force Super Puma Helicopter Display Team, the Marriott sponsoring the B-25 Mitchell Bomber and the Littledown Centre sponsoring the Strikemaster.

Festival media partner, the Daily Echo, is sponsoring the return of The Blades and the Hotel Miramar is helping to ensure that the evening skies are lit up by sponsoring displays from Aerosparx.

The festival's hugely successful patrons' scheme, comprising private individuals and local business owners, has collectively funded this year's Night Air flying displays and official radio partner, Wave 105, together with Shorefield Holiday Park and Halo, are helping to bring live music – including the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Collingwood, Travis and Example with DJ Wire – to the Night Air programme. Tickets are still available from bhlivetickets.co.uk.

Festival favourites, the Tigers Parachute Team are back for another year thanks to sponsorship from Bournemouth Airport and lovers of classic aviation engineering won't be disappointed, with Spitfire Lager bringing the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight to Bournemouth's skies, BH Live sponsoring SallyB's appearance at this year's festival and a performance from the Great War Display Team supported by Lord Stephen Young.

Now in its ninth year, part of Bournemouth Air Festival's success is down to the strength of its partnership with the armed forces and the Army, Royal Navy and RAF will be returning this year with an impressive array of assets and demonstrations.

Published by the Daily Echo, this year's official souvenir programme contains essential information on what's on and when. The programme is out now and available to buy from stockists around the town as well as on site during the festival. Find out more at bournemouthair.co.uk.

Facebook: /bournemouthairfestival

Twitter: @BmthAirFest

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Please visit bournemouthair.co.uk or contact Bournemouth Tourism PR office
for more information pr@bournemouth.gov.uk  or call 01202 451704

Notes to Editors

• The Bournemouth Air Festival has attracted more than eight million visitors since 2008.
• Winner of VisitEngland's Tourism Event of the Year 2015.
• It is the Royal Navy's largest annual outreach programme.
• There is no other air event in the UK which surpasses the commitment of the RN, RAF and Army on such an incredible scale – with action on land, in the skies and out at sea.
• The 2016 Air Festival charities are the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, ABF The Soldiers Charity and the Jon Egging Trust.
• Night Air tickets are priced at from £10, Thursday is available to purchase online now, Friday and Saturday are available from early July. Check out online updates and tune into Wave105 for details.