The Atlantic City Airshow is announced to be returning on March 19, 2025, after a rollercoaster of cancellations. Now rebranded as the Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival, it will thunder over the Jersey Shore on July 15-16, 2025.
This is excellent news for aircraft lovers and everyone who enjoys a spectacular show, but this comeback is also a great incentive for the city's tourist sector.
The history of this event goes all the way back to 1910 when Atlantic City held its very first air show on the beach between Tennessee and Arkansas Avenues. It attracted approximately 100,000 spectators, which was a huge crowd, especially in those days.
The current version began in 2001 courtesy of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber, and it soon turned into a summer tradition. Over two decades, it grew into New Jersey’s biggest free event, pulling in massive crowds with jaw-dropping flybys and stunts.
By 2023, it hit a peak of 485,000 visitors over two days, serving as proof that it’s not just a niche thing anymore.
The airshow itself attracts approximately 200,000 to 250,000 individuals just for the aircrafts alone, according to tourist estimates and crowd sizes. An additional 200,000 or so are casino visitors or beachgoers who stumble upon the show.
Atlantic City's casino scene undoubtedly keeps the city alive year-round, but the airshow gives it an added boost. The casinos are a big part of Atlantic City life, and not just the ones you walk into. Online spots like DraftKings Casino tie into that same vibe while also offering bonuses like free spins and credits for the newly registered.
Overall, it's a mix of airplane aficionados and curious bystanders, everyone craning their necks to see F-16s or vintage warbirds.
The performance usually includes 10 to 15 performing acts, military squadrons such as the Thunderbirds, civilian aerobatic stunt flyers, and occasionally foreign performers such as Italy's Frecce Tricolori.
The size of the event goes beyond some regional airshows, such as Millville's Wheels and Wings (cancelled in 2024), but smaller than behemoths such as Oshkosh's EAA AirVenture, which attracts more than 600,000 and scores of acts. Though, Atlantic City's beachfront locale, with planes shrieking by overhead over the ocean, provides a distinctive edge in terms of aesthetics.
So what were the cancellations about?
Well, in 2024, one of the headlining acts canceled at the last minute, allegedly the Polaris Ghost Squadron, following a $300,000 rescue by the South Jersey Transportation Authority, considering it was already financially on shaky ground that year.
Then, in December 2024, the Chamber canceled 2025, citing a "strategic pause" to reconsider costs and logistics.
Businesses felt the loss. The 2024 cancellation shaved off an estimated $50 million economic boost, felt mainly by stores and restaurants in the area; some even shut down, like the Good Dog Bar.
Casino revenue remained stable, down only 0.7% through February 2025, but the boardwalk missed the extra traffic.
The 2025 revival, funded by Visit Atlantic City at $380,000, flipped the script. It’s a calculated move to reclaim that tourism surge.
Mayor Marty Small dubbed it a lifeline for casinos, businesses, and hospitality, and he's not mistaken. The two-day effect of the airshow could reach more than $23 million, according to Casino Reinvestment Development Authority projections, with state and local taxes bringing in close to $2 million. That's significant for a city relying on every dollar.
The 2025 acts remain a secret, but anticipate a combination of military aerobatics and civilian stuntmen, perhaps 12 to 15 acts if recent years are an indicator. Soar & Shore Festival branding suggests more draw, perhaps with the inclusion of beach events.
Atlantic City has the tradition and larger name over Wildwood's inaugural Thunder Over the Waves Airshow (set for September 2025 at the same size).
For a town renowned for slots and blackjack, the return of the airshow means more than just a din in the air. It's an opportunity to attract visitors who might not otherwise roll the dice. Following two subdued summers, those engines cannot roar to life soon enough.
