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The 2025 Pacific Airshow Gold Coast has been cancelled due to beach erosion following Tropical Cyclone Alfred earlier this year.
The event, originally scheduled for 15 to 17 August 2025, has been axed for this year, as efforts to repair the beach at Surfers Paradise following the cyclone have been hampered by recurring king tides with accompanying large swells.
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The Gold Coast has lost more than four million cubic metres of sand since the storm in March, with the beach level at Surfers Paradise dropping by around two metres, creating sand cliffs up to six metres high in some areas.
In a statement, Code Four CEO and airshow director Kevin Elliott said the cancellation is “the right thing to do for everyone and the long-term restoration of the beach”.
“Big surf, high tides and unusually persistent rainfall since the cyclone have created a perfect storm of events that has been detrimental to recovery efforts,” he said.
“It’s been one step forward, two steps back with beach sand replenishment, even though the City of Gold Coast has been putting all its efforts into returning the beach to its picture-perfect best with ships, trucks, pumps and the lot.
“Our extensive modelling shows that in light of the recent erosion caused by the king tides and massive swell, the sand just won’t be there for a safe spectator experience at the scale Pacific Airshow requires.
“After looking at every option – changing dates, moving to another spot on the Gold Coast – we couldn’t find a way to keep our community safe without compromising the show either in the air or on the ground, and neither of those were acceptable outcomes for us.”
According to Elliott, pre-sale tickets this year had more than doubled the number from 2024, and customers will receive an email with their options including full refunds.
“We’re extremely grateful to our PA family and hope they will stick with us through this setback. We’re happy to reveal we will be back next year Bigger, Faster & Louder from 14 to 16 August 2026,” he said.
The Pacific Airshow Gold Coast was created by the team behind the Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach, California, which attracts 3 million visitors.
Launched in 2016, the original Pacific Airshow in California in 2021 included aerial displays by the US Navy Blue Angels, US Air Force Thunderbirds, Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
