"Maybe Next Year" Says Council for 3rd Time In a Row

The Sunderland, UK city council has announced it will not be holding the Sunderland Airshow this summer, saying that the decision is the result of its public-facing consultation last August, and increased uncertainty around Covid in the near future. The statement issued is couched in a gentle, slightly uncertain manner of speaking, but there should be no mistake: The show is cancelled. 

The event once stood among the longest-running seaside airshows, performing over 30 years with a festival of activities, displays, and arena events. Sunderland was one of the premier places to see the aerobatic Red Arrows, and the gamut of Royal Air Force steel as it streaked across the skies. The free airshow was held year after year until it grew to 2 million visitors throughout its 3-day weekend. Airshows are often include a large community fair, a chance for the local cash economy to see an infusion while a seasonal demarcation helps to build a sense of civic belonging, increasingly rare as the world nears year #3 of the pandemic. 

The council says the change is driven by a less-than-enthusiastic community attitude to the show, which helped convince them to forgo the event because of the long and involved preparation needed to put on an airshow. As spring approaches, the time is now to make a go/no-go decision, and the council feels that it cannot guarantee that the event could go on. "Because of the nature of the air show, the infrastructure and contracts that need to be put in place to support it," they said. "We have reached the stage where we would need to commit now to allow the event to go ahead this summer which we just don't feel able to do that at the moment." 

For the crestfallen attendees, the council says that there are other events on the table to act as a suitable replacement. "We also recognize that it's vital to listen to residents and to refresh our events programme from time to time...We know that residents are keen for there to be new and different events in the city and ones that they can take part in as well as attend with family and friends," the council concluded. "We'd urge people to keep an eye out for details of exciting new events which will be announced in coming months." Events currently on the horizon include Re-Purpose, an art exhibition composed entirely of recycled materials, the Beauty and the Beast Musical, and the Fossils to Fuel trail, a walking tour to "discover the impact fossil fuel use has had on our climate and wildlife." While there are no apparent replacements for the missing airshow, attendees can hope for a return next year. (Again.)

FMI: www.seeitdoitsunderland.co.uk