RAF Red Arrows to return to Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week
Volunteers at Lyme Regis RNLI are delighted to hear that the world-famous Red Arrows aerobatic display team will once again be performing at this year’s Lifeboat Week after a gap of nine years. This is particularly significant as 2026 is the year in which the RNLI celebrates 200 years in the town.
Lifeboat Week is the major fundraising event for the Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Supporters Group who work with the lifeboat crew and other volunteers to stage a week-long family orientated spectacle which draws thousands of people every year and generates thousands of pounds for the lifesaving charity. From 1973 until 2017 the highlight of the week was the aerobatic display by the RAF Red Arrows.
A successful bid for the return of the Arrows in 2026 has been made by Lyme Regis Town Council who will be fundraising to cover the cost of the display which is scheduled for 15 August.
Chair of Lyme Regis Lifeboat Management Group Petrina Muscroft said: ‘We are delighted that the Red Arrows are returning to Lifeboat Week in our 200th anniversary year and are very grateful to Lyme Regis Town Council for making it happen. There is no doubt that Red Arrows Day is the highlight of our fundraising week and brings many thousands of people to the town.'
Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week is scheduled for 15-23 August 2026. A full programme events will be publicised nearer the date.
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Notes to editors
Photo1 Caption: Red Arrows over Lifeboat Week banner. Credit: Peter Hampton
Phot2 Caption: Royal Air Force Red Arrows aerobatic display team. Credit: Royal Air Force
RNLI media contacts
For more information, please contact Nick Marks, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station on 07568 187582 or [email protected], or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected], or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
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