Southport Bids to Host Largest National Armed Forces Day in 2027
Southport has officially launched a bid to host the National Armed Forces Day in 2027, aiming to deliver the largest and most spectacular celebration the UK has ever seen.
The town, which boasts one of the highest concentrations of service personnel and veterans in the country, plans to transform the traditional “Day” into a massive weekend-long National Armed Forces Festival from June 26–27, 2027.
To bolster the bid, organisers are exploring a historic move for the Southport Air Show, shifting it from its usual September slot to coincide with the festival for a powerhouse weekend of events.
A Community-Led Vision for a National Stage
The bid is being driven by an independent committee under the Armed Forces Community Hub CIC, with substantial support from the Southport Royal British Legion.
Organisers are calling on local residents and businesses to unite behind the proposal before the official bid is submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) this August.
Major Nick McEntee, Director of Southport Armed Forces Community Hub CIC, said:
“Southport is united and ambitious in our shared vision to host National Armed Forces Day in 2027.
“The event, while officially termed a ‘Day’ by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), will be promoted locally as the ‘National Armed Forces Festival’ and will span the entire weekend of 26th-27th June 2027.
“The vision is to create the ‘biggest and best Armed Forces Day the UK has ever seen’ by combining the event with the Southport Air Show, which would move from its traditional September slot.
“This collaborative, town-wide effort aims to leverage military assets, local community groups, businesses, and professional support from the MOD to boost Southport’s economy and profile.”
Building Momentum from Local Success
The bid comes on the heels of the successful “Lightport” event and ahead of a massive summer for the town, including the return of The 154th Golf Open Championship to Royal Birkdale.
Major McEntee continued:
“Last week, Southport hosted the spectacular Lightport event, attracting tens of thousands of families in what was a huge success.
“It shows what we can achieve. Lightport was the first of four major exciting new events coming to our town as part of the ‘Southport 2026’ programme.
“Additionally, the 154th Golf Open Championship returning to Royal Birkdale Golf Club this summer will attract international visitors, with the eyes of the world on Southport.
“All of this is giving a huge boost and an important opportunity to a town which has endured so much in recent years.
“We need to build on that momentum, and we all need to get behind a substantial legacy event, and this is it.
“We’d love to secure as much community support as we can from local people, local organisations and local businesses.
“Any businesses which are keen to come on board and get involved through sponsorship, please get in touch.
“This is a significant civic opportunity for Southport, and the more organisations that stand behind the bid, the stronger our case will be.
“We look forward to working with our community as we take the next steps towards delivering a day that Southport can be truly proud of.”
Preparation is already underway for the 2026 Southport Armed Forces Festival, which will serve as a critical proof-of-concept for the national bid.
Major McEntee added:
“This year’s Southport Armed Forces Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th June 2026.
“The event will be a seamless, town-wide festival encompassing locations from the Promenade to King’s Gardens, Princes Park, The Atkinson, and Southport town centre.
“We need to show the world what we can achieve, making this a showcase event that builds momentum and really presses our claims for hosting National Armed Forces Day in Southport in 2027.”
