What are you doing to keep visitors safe?

The answer is lots. As with all other national and major events, you will notice enhanced security at the Air Festival, with visible police, armed police and security staff as well as CCTV monitoring present.

There are the security measures you can see, and ones you can’t. We monitor the whole site every day and staff are trained to ensure festival goers have a safe, secure and happy time.

We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe. Your safety is our priority, and that’s why we work with several partners, including Dorset Police, RNLI Lifeguards, Counter Terrorism Policing, BCP Council Community Safety (CSAS) Officers and Seafront Rangers, Poole Harbour Commissioners, HM Coastguard and onsite security and stewards to ensure safety procedures are in place and deliver a safe event.

If you’re lucky, you may even see a sniffer dog on duty at the Air Festival, but please remember, these are busy working dogs with a very important job to do.

Here are some quick tips to help you have a safe and enjoyable time:

Stay alert and look out for each other, don’t leave bags unattended, never agree to look after a stranger’s bag.

If you see something suspicious find a Police Officer, Ranger, Security officer or member of the Events Team. We will always take every report seriously. In an emergency, always call 999.

The National Vehicle Threat Mitigation Unit (NVTMU) will administer barrier assets throughout the Air Fesitval site to keep visitors safe. For more information on the NVTMU, please visit – The National Vehicle Threat Mitigation Unit | ProtectUK

Beach safety

People visiting beaches across BCP are encouraged to follow the RNLI’s beach safety advice if entering the water:

  • Choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags
  • Check the weather and tide times before you go
  • If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then call for help or swim to safety if you can
  • If you see anyone in trouble in the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

Lost children

Use the LV=KidZone beach safety scheme to prevent and reunite lost children.

Collect a free wristband across the bay from specially trained LV=KidZone staff, as well as seafront rangers and RNLI lifeguard towers. Should you have a missing or found child, please report immediately to a member of the  LV=KidZone /Seafront team, or a RNLI Lifeguard who will be on hand to help.

Read more here.

You can also take pictures of what your children are wearing on that day, have a meeting point in mind and report any missing children to the police immediately.

Keep well in the sun

Stay hydrated – bring your own water bottle and fill up at our water refill stations! Download the Refill app to find where our hydration stations are located

Beach wear is always a must – t-shirt, hat and sunglasses and if it looks like it’s going to be hot always pack sun cream, hats, water to stay hydrated and, if possible, umbrella for shade. If you or others feel unwell, get dizzy, feel weak, anxious or have intense thirst, move to a cool place, rehydrate and cool your body down.

If you have Covid symptoms or any other infectious illness or and you have a high temperature, please try to stay at home and avoid contact with others to reduce the chance of you spreading infection to others.

Help prevent fires

Disposable barbeques on the beach can be harmful to other beachgoers and wildlife. It’s much safer to support the onsite food and drink traders or bring a picnic

Open fires, fire pits and fire bowls are not permitted at any time on our beaches, promenades, cliffs or cliff tops, which provide a home to many of the UK’s rare species of reptiles, birds and insects.

Why not use one of the electric barbeques we’ve installed on our promenade between Branksome Chine in Poole to Fisherman’s Walk in Southbourne?

Keep the planes flying!

Drones are strictly not allowed to be flown at the event site, please do not bring them to the festival.  It’s against the law to fly them within the Air Festival Restricted Airspace established to protect participating aircraft and display teams.

Organisers are under strict rules to cancel the flying display programme if drones are flying in the dedicated approved air space; drone operators will be prosecuted.

Air Restrictions Map

Are there stewards on site if I need assistance?

Yes, stewards in hi-vis vests and Zone Managers in pink t-shirts are on site and ready to assist if/ when needed.

We will be watching the air displays from our boat – are there designated areas or restrictions?

Maritime Safety Zone Map is now available online, click the ‘Getting Here’ section for more information – good news, you don’t have to book or pay to view from the bay

Plan your visit in advance

Download the Air Festival app to plan your route or check out bournemouth.co.uk/visitor-information for more

Stay up to date

Follow the team on social media for news and updates, as it happens – Facebook, Instagram