What has happened to Bournemouth Air Festival?
As hopes of a 2026 edition of Bournemouth Air Festival fade, what factors have led to its demise, and will it ever return?
The private air show operator that was expected to run the event on a 10-year contract has pulled out of talks.
The major sticking point was its plan to close the promenade and seafront between the piers, which the council said it legally could not do.
The US-based firm has also blamed the "instability of the financial and political climate" for its decision to withdraw.
The free air festival was first held in 2008 and has taken place every August, with the exception of 2020 when Covid restrictions were in place.
At its peak, it attracted about 1.3 million visitors to the seaside conurbation, and estimates of how much it annually contributed to the local economy vary from £14m to £59m.
But the cost to the council has sky-rocketed in recent years, with hikes across insurance, security, infrastructure and counter-terrorism measures.
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) said its net budget for the four-day festival had risen from £300,000 in 2019 to £400,000 by 2022.
New legislation brought in after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing is also set to significantly increase costs for all organisers of public events.
The authority, which has been run by a coalition since 2023, has already slashed millions from its budget as it grapples with a huge deficit for its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.
Half a million people attended the final council-funded air show in 2024, which was scaled back from four days to three, with the final net cost to the council reaching £248,000.
In the months that followed, officers explored two options - one was for a sponsor to foot the £400,000 bill of a council-run event, the other was for an external operator to run the air show at no cost to the authority.
With no firm offers of sponsorship, but five potential operators raising their hand, things began to look up.
But those early discussions led to just two firm expressions of interest and, with one of those requiring financial backing from the council, the initial flurry of enquiries quickly dwindled to a shortlist of one.
BCP's destination and leisure councillor Richard Herrett said the prospective organisers had flown from the US to attend the 2024 event, but had drawn up a "wide range of requests that would have created significant financial pressures on the council".
A report to BCP councillors said the plan to close off the beach and promenade between Boscombe and Bournemouth piers was to enable "a variety of hospitality offers ranging in price".
But the authority said the firm's "non-negotiable" request presented legal difficulties, as fencing off the area would contravene the Open Spaces Act 1906.
After the report was published, but before councillors met to discuss it, the company announced it was pulling out.
In a letter read to councillors, the operator, whose name was redacted, said: "Several factors led us to this decision, with the most significant being that, without the ability to fence off and restrict access to a significant part of the beach and the surrounding areas, it would be challenging to create a financially sustainable event model.
"The instability of the financial and political climate were also factors that would challenge us to deliver the event in a similar manner to our other events."
Council leader Millie Earl said: "We are still open to any interest from potential operators or sponsors.
"In the meantime, we remain invested in the cultural future of our beautiful area and are continuing to work with our partners and support others where we can."
The council says its Bay Run, Arts By the Sea Festival and Christmas in Bournemouth events will still go ahead.
But, with 12-months needed to organise the air show, any potential air show sponsor or operator would now be working towards 2027 at the earliest.
You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Bournemouth Air Festival in doubt as sponsor search ends
In pictures: Bournemouth Air Festival 2024
BCP Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gold prices slip as Trump sets two-week deadline over Iran-Israel conflict involvement
Gold prices slumped in early European trading on Friday morning, after US president Donald Trump set a two-week deadline to decide on whether the US would get directly involved in the Iran-Israel conflict. In a briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a message from Trump: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." This provided some relief to investors who were concerned about the potential for more immediate US involvement in the conflict. Foreign ministers from UK, France and Germany are due to hold talks with Iranian officials in Geneva later on Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets upbeat as UK and EU begin talks on Iran and Trump sets two week deadline European stocks opened higher on Friday morning, on the back of Trump's two-week pause. Meanwhile, gold prices fell, signalling that investors had become less risk averse, as the precious metal is considered to act as a safe haven asset amid political and economic uncertainty. Gold futures (GC=F) were down 1.3% at $3,363.10 an ounce at the time of writing, while the spot gold price fell 0.7% to $3,348.84 per ounce. Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Markets, said: "Some temporary relief but not enough for anyone to hang their hats on properly as the situation remains way too unpredictable. "Base case has started to shift in the direction of direct US involvement, which opens up a pandora's box of mess, but markets seem to be clinging to expectation that it all remains contained like it has in the past. The meeting today is material and could shift the needle — stay sharp." Oil prices rose on Friday morning, trading at six-month highs, as investors assessed the latest developments around the Iran-Israel conflict. Brent crude futures (BZ=F) advanced 0.4% to $77 a barrel, at the time of writing, while West Texas Intermediate futures (CL=F) climbed 0.7% to trade at $75.66 a barrel. Stocks: Create your watchlist and portfolio Oil prices have surged over the past week, driven higher by concerns that the escalating conflict could lead to a disruption of global supply. There is particular focus on the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Iran, with around a fifth of global supplies passing through this channel. Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "For now, Iranian oil exports look to be unaffected with a report by Kpler suggesting tanker loadings had reached 2.2 million barrels per day so far this week, a five-week high. "Price support looks firm on the demand side after US crude inventories plummeted by 10.1 million barrels compared to a forecasted fall of just 0.6 million." The pound edged higher 0.1% against the dollar (GBPUSD=X) on Friday, trading at $1.3472 at the time of writing, helped by weakness in the greenback. The US dollar index ( which tracks the greenback against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.3% to 98.66. The muted currency moves came as investors weighed the latest UK economic data releases. Data published on Friday showed that UK government borrowing rose to £17.7bn in May, which was up from £17bn a year earlier. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell (AJB.L), said: "May's borrowing came in at the highest ever for the month outside of the pandemic and will only add to speculation that the chancellor will have to announce more spending cuts or further tax increases at the next budget if she wants to meet her fiscal rules and pay for her spending plans." Read more: Why bitcoin and gold are rallying as bond yields hit 30-year highs Separate data, also released on Friday, showed that UK retail sales slumped 2.7% in May, which was much lower than the average forecast of a 0.5% fall in a Reuters poll. "How much people are prepared to spend in the shops is a good indication of how confident consumers are feeling, or not, about their personal finances," said Hewson. 'It's interesting that on the day the latest the latest GfK survey suggests people were feeling a little less nervous in May after April's bill hikes, retail figures show sales in the same period were significantly down." In other currency moves, the pound was little changed against the euro (GBPEUR=X), trading at €1.1704 at the time of writing. More broadly, the UK's FTSE 100 (^FTSE) rose 0.5% to 8,838 points at the time of writing. For more details, on broader market movements check our live coverage here. Read more: Looming petrol price increase could hit fragile consumer confidence Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25% amid inflation fears Eurozone inflation falls below ECB target to 1.9%
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK borrowing rises in May, making tax hikes ‘increasingly likely'
The Treasury borrowed more than expected in May, prompting fresh warnings from economists that autumn tax rises are 'increasingly likely'. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that public sector net borrowing reached £17.7bn last month — £600m higher than the £17.1bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and £700m above the same month in 2024. ONS deputy director for public sector finances Rob Doody said: 'Last month saw the public sector borrow £700m more than at the same time last year, with only 2020, affected as it was by Covid-19, seeing higher May borrowing in the time since monthly records began. 'While receipts were up, thanks partly to higher income tax revenue and national insurance contributions, spending was up more, affected by increased running costs and inflation-linked uplifts to many benefits.' Despite May's overshoot, borrowing for April and May combined stood at £37.7bn — £2.9bn lower than the OBR's cumulative forecast for the first two months of the 2025–26 fiscal year. Nonetheless, analysts warn the chancellor Rachel Reeves may face difficult decisions ahead. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets upbeat as UK and EU begin talks on Iran and Trump sets two week deadline 'Despite the overshoot in May, public borrowing was £2.9bn below the OBR's forecast in the first two months of the fiscal year. That said, the OBR may still revise up its borrowing forecasts from March in the autumn budget,' City consultancy Capital Economics said. 'That and already-tight spending plans mean tax hikes later this year appear increasingly likely.' Central government receipts rose by £3.5bn year-on-year to £61.7bn in May, boosted by a £1.9bn increase in income tax, £800m more in VAT receipts and £600m in corporation tax. An increase in employer national insurance contributions contributed to a £1.8bn rise in compulsory social contributions, bringing that total to £15.1bn. However, central government spending climbed by £4.1bn over the same period. Pay rises for public sector workers and higher inflation-linked benefit payments, along with earnings-linked uplifts in pensions, were key drivers of the increase. The latest borrowing leaves the UK's net debt at 96.4% of GDP, 0.5 percentage points higher than a year ago and among the highest levels recorded since the 1960s. Rachael Griffin, tax and financial planning expert at Quilter, warned: 'As the country edges closer to the autumn budget, speculation continues about potential tax changes. Reports suggest Labour may look again at capital gains tax, dividend reliefs, and even consider further freezes to income tax thresholds. Combined with rising property and asset values, this could make the overall tax landscape significantly more punitive. 'In this environment, early and careful tax planning is essential. With thresholds still frozen and reliefs under review, the cost of inaction is only going to rise.' Read more: Looming petrol price increase could hit fragile consumer confidence Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM UK, said the chancellor's room for manoeuvre had narrowed since March. 'Looking ahead to the budget in the autumn, the underperformance of the economy and higher borrowing costs mean the chancellor may already have lost the £9.9bn of fiscal headroom that she clawed back in March,' he said. 'Throw in the tough outlook for many government departments announced in the spending review and U-turns on welfare spending and the chancellor will probably have to announce some top-up tax increases after the summer.' Most economic forecasters, including the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England, have downgraded the UK's growth prospects this year. This could potentially reduce tax receipts over the longer term and force Reeves to make further spending cuts or raise taxes. Alison Ring, director of public sector and taxation at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, urged longer-term thinking. 'While there is always a hope that tax rises can be kept to a minimum, we hope the chancellor will take this opportunity to consult over the summer on a range of potential tax changes, even if they may not all be needed. It is time to end HM Treasury's extremely bad habit of tinkering with the tax system with policies designed in haste in the run-up to each fiscal event.' The chief secretary to the Treasury said the latest borrowing figures showed the government has 'stabilised the economy and the public finances'. Darren Jones said: 'Since taking office, we have taken the right decisions to protect working people, begin repairing the NHS, and fix the foundations to rebuild Britain. We stabilised the economy and the public finances; now we need to ensure that the British economy delivers for working people. 'Last week's spending review showed how we are investing in the UK's security, health, and the economy through our Plan for Change, so that people are better off.' Read more: Why bitcoin and gold are rallying as bond yields hit 30-year highs Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25% amid inflation fears What you need to know about UK's private stock market PiscesError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Government's pension merger plan could cost Brits millions
The government has announced plans to merge pension pots, but the move could cost Brits millions of pounds, experts have warned. The police was originally a Conservative one, belonging to the 86 funds in the Local Government Pension Scheme, which collectively holds the retirement savings of 6.7 million Brits who are or have been employed by local government. Now, the Labour government has brought it back as part of the Fit for Purpose consultation, which aims at reducing the costs involved in managing the investments. Read more: Millions of UK households told to spend £49 before end of Friday However, experts have raised concerns about its implementation, with the LGPS addressing the issue at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association's annual local government conference in Bedford, the Daily Express reports. Under the proposals, government and regulatory approval needs to be given for a fund to set up as a superfund. If it does not get approval, it will need to merge with a fund that has got approval. Jennifer Devine, head of Wiltshire pension fund, part of the Brunel Pension Partnership said: 'This is going to be a really costly process for us as well, those 21 funds who didn't get the green light to go forward are being quite heavily penalized here. 'Really, there will be costs in leaving our pool. You can't move billions of pounds without spending millions of pounds. "The understanding I have from speaking to the central government is that that's just on us. Those are on our costs, and we just have to weather them.' The Express spoke to other delegates, with one saying: "When a fund doesn't get permission to go forward, and therefore has to merge with a fund that has then what happens is that you are effectively winding up a company, in order to merge with another." "Think of all the costs involved in that, it's not going to be cheap and it could run into the billions of pounds." Another delegate said: "It won't be the pension funds paying the costs, because these pensions are guaranteed to pay out, any cost will have to be met by central government which means the taxpayer." Join our dedicated BirminghamLive WhatsApp community for the latest updates sent straight to your phone as they happen. You can also sign up to our Money Saving Newsletter which is sent out daily via email with all the updates you need to know on the cost of living, including DWP and HMRC changes, benefits, payments, banks, bills and shopping discounts. Get the top stories in your inbox to browse through at a time that suits you.
