2024 Pacific Airshow: Everything you need to know about Surfers Paradise August 16-18 event
With the Pacific Airshow kicking off on Friday, monster crowds are tipped to flock to Surfers Paradise Beach. From where to get the best view to road closures, this is everything you need to know.
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With the highly anticipated 2024 Pacific Airshow kicking off on Friday, monster crowds are tipped to flock to Surfers Paradise Beach.
The inaugural 2023 event injected an estimated $25 million into the economy and attracted 250,000 people with this year’s instalment predicted to be even ‘bigger and better’.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Tickets:
Unreserved beach access is $70 for a three-day concession pass or $35 for a one-day pass for children.
General admission for adults starts at $100 for a three-day concession pass or $50 for a one-day pass.
Family general admission starts at $130 for a single-day pass and $270 for a three-day pass.
Gates open 9am daily with aerial performances starting from 10am.
While premium general admission day passes for Saturday are sold out, single-day passes for Friday or Sunday start at $150 while a three-day pass is $275.
Getting there:
All Gold Coast Pacific Airshow ticket holders will be provided with free access to public transport over the airshow weekend.
The closest G:link stations to the show centre are Cypress Ave, Cavill Ave or the Surfers Paradise stop.
There are limited parking spots for personal motor vehicles at Bruce Bishop carpark and Cypress Ave carpark.
Road closures:
From Monday August 12 to Thursday August 15 The Esplanade from Staghorn Ave to Clifford St will be affected by road closures.
There will be a full road closure from the Soul roundabout to Hanlan St roundabout.
The southbound lane will be closed from Hanlan St to Clifford St.
Southbound lane will be closed at times from Staghorn Ave to the Soul roundabout.
From Friday August 16 to Sunday August 18 The Esplanade from Staghorn Ave to Clifford St will be affected by road closures.
A full road closure will be in place from the Soul roundabout to the Hanlan St roundabout all day.
The southbound lane will be closed from Hanlan St to Clifford St all day, as will the southbound lane from Staghorn Ave to Elkhorn Ave from 6am to 5pm daily.
The northbound lane will operate as a controlled alternating one-way lane between Elkhorn Ave and Soul roundabout from 6am to 5pm daily.
On event days there will be police-controlled road closures from 3pm to 5pm on the following roads:
Laycock St
Trickett St
Hanlan St
Cavill Ave
Orchid Ave
Elkhorn Ave (between Orchid Ave and the Esplanade)
Surfers Paradise Blvd (southbound between Elkhorn Ave and Clifford St)
Beach Road
Exclusion zone:
An ocean exclusion zone will be in effect from First Ave Broadbeach through to Macintosh Island Bridge Narrowneck and approximately 1.1km east of the shoreline where access will be prohibited during these times:
Thursday 15 August, 10am - 4pm
Friday 16 August, 10am - 4pm
Saturday 17 August, 10am - 4pm
Sunday 18 August, 10am - 4pm
No water activities will be allowed in the exclusion zone including swimming, surfing and marine vessels. Public access to the shoreline and sand is permitted outside the ticketed event precinct.
How to watch if you don’t have tickets:
While the best views will be inside the ticketed area, those without tickets can watch the Airshow from afar.
The beach and ocean outside the exclusion zone will provide some great views of the aerobatic aircraft and so will high-rise apartments.
Aircraft on show:
More than 25 performers will be exhibiting their skills over the Pacific Airshow weekend. Here are eight highlights:
Yak 110
The Yak 110 aircraft was originally conceived by Airshow pilot Jeff Boerboon and mechanic Dell Coller in 2013. The Yak-110 is a one-off design that was constructed by joining two Yak-55 fuselages and a jet engine mounted in between.
F-22 Raptor
Flying all the way from Hawaii’s Pacific Air Forces Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the F-22s will provide a sneak peek into why they are among the most lethal fighter jets in the world.
RAAF F-35A
The F-35A Lightning II is the Australian Defence Force’s first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter and is at the forefront of air combat technology.
T-33
Greg Colyer will take to the skies in the T-33 Shooting Star, showcasing the classic jet trainer aircraft which has trained generations of pilots. Owned by Pacific Airshow, the T-33 is the only known craft of its kind in Australia and was shipped from the US, reassembled and will make its debut in Australian skies at the Airshow.
Screaming Diamonds
Crowd favourite Screaming Diamonds performance is returning to the Airshow following their performance in 2023’s show. Headed up by pilot Adrian van der Sluys the display consists of a Pitts S1-11 and two Pitts S1T looping, weaving and diving. The Pitts S1 -11 aircraft is light weight with big horsepower and powerful flight controls.
L-39’s
The FastJet Airshow display team is a group of four pilots who are based in Bathurst, NSW, led by Charlie ‘Squid’ Camilleri, an experienced pilot known for his precision and daring manoeuvres. All four pilots are current National Championship Air Race pilots in the USA.
RAAF 100 Squadron
The Royal Australian Air Force’s 100 Squadron fleet of vintage aircraft will be taking to Gold Coast skies for the first time en mass in this year’s Airshow. The three planes that will be at the Airshow include Canberra Jet Bomber, the Vietnam War-era jet bomber. Spitfire, renowned for its role in World War II and was the Battle of Britain champion. The P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
Extra 330SC
Gold Coast aerobatic pilot Hayden Pullen will perform in his own Extra 330 LT, known for its agility and speed, demonstrating high-energy aerobatics that push the limits of both pilot and machine.
EARLIER
Pacific Airshow bosses are confident they will soar above this week’s wet weather and deliver a worthy second event.
The final countdown is on for the extravaganza, which drew more than 250,000 people during its inaugural year, with infrastructure being installed along Surfers Paradise Beach.
However, with the Gold Coast on flood watch and more than 40mm having already fallen on the city since Sunday, organisers are keeping a close eye on the weather.
The first planes are arriving, with practice sessions above the Glitter Strip beginning early in the week.
Despite the wet weather, which is expected to last through most of the week, Pacific Airshow director Kevin Elliott said he was looking past the heavy rainfall to the weekend, which he anticipated would be bright and sunny.
“The weather will be hit or miss this week and while we would prefer nothing but sun for our various media events and bump in, we will adapt and overcome as is the nature of live events outdoor,” he said.
“There will be plenty of breaks in the rain for practices so no worries there, the Airshow will not be impacted based on the current forecast and is a rain or shine event.
“Regardless, Friday to Sunday are looking spectacular and getting better by the day.
“Particularly Saturday and Sunday look like perfect, sunny beach days and awesome Airshow weather – we are full steam ahead towards a fantastic weekend.”
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said council would keep a close eye on the weather in coming days.
“The forecast is looking good for next weekend, so we don’t anticipate any impact on the Pacific Airshow at this stage,” she said.
“More generally, we will be closely monitoring the weather over the next few days for any impacts across the city.”
Among the headline acts to be featured in the airshow will be the F-35 Lighting, F-22 Raptor and the F-18 Super Hornet.
The event is tipped to inject more than $25m into the economy.
Patrons are travelling from as far away as the US, UK and United Arab Emirates to attend the event, which will feature some of the world’s most advanced fighter jets performing daring aerial demonstrations above the Glitter Strip.
Tram services will be dramatically ramped up during the three days of the event to cope with capacity, with ticketholders travelling for free on the light rail.
Acting Superintendent Scott Knowles from Gold Coast police said attendees should leave their cars at home and use the public transport and active travel options being made available.
“If you’re in a motor vehicle, please don’t drive into the Surfers Paradise area over this event period. There will be a number of road closures, we’ll also have contraflows in place,” he said.
“It’s going to be very busy. We’re going to have significant numbers of people. … Do not bring a motor vehicle into Surfers Paradise over this period of time.”
More than 100 police will be on duty at the event, with wanding operations taking place to detect anyone carrying weapons.
Acting Supt Knowles also said there would be a marine exclusion zone in place, while flying drones in the area was strictly forbidden – with fines in the tens of thousands of dollars on the cards for anyone who broke the rules.
“Do not fly your drones here. We have technology that will trace that drone, we can bring the drone down. This is not the location to fly your drones,” he said.
“Do not even turn them on.
“It is a restricted air zone. You face up to nearly a $40,000 fine, and/or two years imprisonment.
“ … In terms of vessels, we also have an exclusion zone extending from First Ave, Broadbeach in the south through to about Macintosh Island region in the north and then out to sea about 1.1km.
“The exclusion is there for everybody’s safety. Should an aircraft have to touch down into the water it’s there to make sure that everybody will be safe and that we have the opportunity to get our divers and our rescue teams in there and assist anyone that may be in these aircraft.
“The areas will be clearly marked with buoys. Do not cross into these areas. It’s an $80,000 fine or up to one year’s imprisonment if you do enter the exclusion zone. And that also includes any swimmers.”
The airshow precinct, which includes cabanas, grandstands and entertainment venues is more than 500m longer this year, dramatically expanding after a sellout audience at the inaugural event in 2023.
Airshow chief operating officer Sam Pearce said this year’s event was not expected to sell out, owing to the increased capacity but would still be larger than 2023, with more than 30,000 ticketholders tipped to travel into the precinct each of the three days.
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