Las Vegas Air Shows: Your 2026-2027 Guide

Here's the straight answer everyone's searching for: there is no major Las Vegas air show scheduled in 2026. The big one, Aviation Nation at Nellis Air Force Base, last flew in April 2025, and its next edition is on the calendar for April 3-4, 2027 . But this is still the best airshow city in America to be waiting in: the Thunderbirds literally live here, the valley gets treated to flyovers most cities never see. And you don't have to watch from a lawn chair, because in Las Vegas you can climb into a real aerobatic plane and fly your own airshow this weekend.

The Thunderbirds' diamond at Aviation Nation, Nellis AFB. (Photo: Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Aviation Nation is the U.S. Air Force's own air show, hosted at Nellis Air Force Base on the north edge of the Las Vegas valley since 2002. It's the rare show where the host base is also home to the Air Force's demonstration squadron, so the Thunderbirds headline in their own backyard, alongside modern fighter demos, warbirds, and static displays you can walk right up to.

The most recent edition ran in April 2025. Per the current air show industry schedule, the next Aviation Nation is set for April 3-4, 2027, with the Thunderbirds featured . Nellis typically confirms details, gates, and performer lineups closer to the date, so treat the weekend as penciled-in and watch the base's official channels before booking travel around it.

Passing the crowd line at Nellis. (Photo: Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Most cities wait years for the Thunderbirds to visit. Las Vegas doesn't wait: the squadron is permanently based at Nellis, which means the valley gets moments no other city gets, like the June 2026 valley-wide flyover saluting America's 250th, complete with a Hoover Dam tribute pass. When the team is home between tour stops, aviation-lovers around the north valley learn to look up.

Want the full story of the team? We wrote the history of the Thunderbirds. And if you're Team Navy, the 80-year Blue Angels history settles the rivalry properly.

Veteran spectator rules that hold at any show: arrive when gates open (the good shade and the close parking go first), bring more water and sunscreen than feels reasonable (this is the Mojave), and pack ear protection for kids, because fighter demos are gloriously loud. Static displays are best early, before lines form; flying performances typically own the afternoon. Curious what you'll actually see overhead? Here's our guide to the planes used in air shows and the biggest stunt plane shows on the planet.

If 2027 feels far away, the airshow calendar around the West stays busy every year: San Diego hosts one of the country's biggest military shows each fall, Southern California's air bases and airports run spring shows, and the granddaddy of them all, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, turns a small city into the world's busiest airport every July. Dates move year to year, so check each show's official site, then build the trip around it.

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Or Just Fly the Airshow Yourself

Watching is great. Flying is better. While the valley counts down to Aviation Nation 2027, Sky Combat Ace runs the maneuvers you'd watch from the crowd (loops, rolls, hammerheads) over the desert north of the Strip, Thursday through Monday, no experience required. It's #1 on our Ultimate Las Vegas Bucket List for a reason.