Scarborough Armed Forces Day has received official grant funding from the Ministry of Defence and announced that an RAF Chinook flypast will kick off this year's celebrations on the South Bay.
Scarborough Armed Forces Day will return to the town's South Bay on Saturday the 27th of June, bolstered by official grant funding from the Ministry of Defence and featuring a spectacular flypast by an RAF Chinook.
The highly anticipated event, which is being sponsored by Skipton Building Society, is scheduled to run from 11am until 5pm. Organisers have officially confirmed that the heavy-lift helicopter will be used to kick off the day's proceedings over the Yorkshire Coast.
A spokesperson for Scarborough Armed Forces Day said:
"We are delighted to announce that the RAF Chinook will be doing a flypast to kick off Scarborough Armed Forces Day on Saturday 27 June. The Chinook is one of the RAF's most recognisable aircraft, capable of carrying up to 55 troops or heavy cargo loads. The modern Chinook is at the cutting edge of the RAF's heavy-lift fleet, equipped for extreme environments and multi-role operations."
The confirmation of the Chinook flypast comes as the Ministry of Defence announced that Scarborough is one of one hundred and thirty events across the country to receive grant funding to help host their celebrations this year.
The financial support arrives as part of the Ministry of Defence's ongoing work to boost the number of events taking place throughout 2026. This initiative is directly in line with the Strategic Defence Review's recent call to reconnect local communities with the military, and to encourage a whole-of-society approach to defence.
According to the Ministry of Defence, they received one hundred and thirty successful applications for grants this year. This represents a significant fifty per cent increase in funded events compared to the previous year. Furthermore, more than two hundred and thirty events have now been added to the national map on the official Armed Forces Day website, which is a fourteen per cent increase compared to the numbers seen in 2025.
The events planned for 2026 across the nation include major city gatherings, community sports days, and large-scale civic celebrations in locations such as Manchester and Portsmouth.
In Scarborough, the combination of grant funding and sponsorship will support a packed schedule of both aerial displays and ground performances. Alongside the RAF Chinook, visitors to the South Bay will be treated to a diverse variety of historic and modern aircraft displays.
Organisers have stated that Scarborough is proud to be hosting another Armed Forces Day, which will include thrilling aerial displays from the RAF Spitfire, the RAF Tutor, and the RAF Typhoon.
The extensive aerial line-up will also feature appearances by a Hawker Fury and a Calidus Auto Gyro.
On the ground, the crowds will be entertained by several marching and drill performances. The programme includes a display from The Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioners Pace Stick Team, alongside traditional music from the East Riding Pipe Band.
Local youth organisations will also be represented, with the Scarborough Sea Cadet continuity display drill team scheduled to perform during the coastal celebrations.
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