Armed Forces weekend has something for everyone
This year’s Armed Forces Weekend promises enough military hardware, foot-stomping music and daredevil flying to keep even the most hardened adrenaline junky happy.
From the get-go on Saturday morning the new weekend long event – in association with Babcock, promises to thrill visitors with everything from field gun competitions to helicopter acrobatics.
From 11am on Saturday 25 June watch the Parade of Standards, Cadets and Veterans as they march across the Hoe Promenade, setting the military tone for the weekend.
In the Main Arena there will be cadet drills and displays and live music from the South West Massed Pipe Band. On the Main Stage live acts performing include the Military Kids Choir and Company B – a 7 piece energetic jump jive band. The Plymouth Youth Music Service stage will be keeping crowds entertained from 11am to mid-afternoon.
Visit 29 Commando Royal Artillery for their open day at the Royal Citadel, where there will be plenty to keep the family entertained including fairground rides, animal shows and live entertainment.
And at 2pm, The Rifles will set off from the Royal Citadel led by The Rifles Band and Bugles, in the impressive Freedom of the City Parade. Two guards units, together with old comrades of the Light Infantry Association and the Devon and Dorset Regimental Association, will march into the city in a musical, colourful parade.
The Hoe will be transformed with villages set up showcasing our Armed Forces and Emergency Services along with veteran’s organisations and charities.
In the evening the Main Stage will host an array of exciting live music, beginning with the show stopping emotion of the Military Wives Choir.
The exciting line-up includes the foot-stomping Function Band of HM Royal Marines Plymouth, a Phil Collins Tribute artist, the world-famous bagpipe rock of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, just back from performing in the US, and the Birmingham Blues Brothers.
On Sunday 29 Commando Royal Artillery will be holding a spectacular Feu de Joie - a celebratory "running fire of guns” - while in the main arena the Devonport Field Gun Association is introducing a new, thrilling Junior Field Gun Competition which will see twelve crews from nine different primary schools battle it out to win one of the four trophies up for grabs.
And then at 1pm some of the world’s best pilots will take to the skies with a combination of speed and synchronised split-second timing for the Armed Forces Weekend Air Show.
The spectacular three-hour show, sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems, includes the daring Red Devils Parachute Display Team, vintage aircraft and nail-biting displays by the helicopter pilots of the Blackcats and civilian team the Blades, made up entirely of former RAF Red Arrows pilots.
Plymouth City Council cabinet member for culture, Councillor Glenn Jordan, said:
“This year there will be twice as much to see and do with something for everyone. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate and thank our Armed Forces past and present.”
