San Francisco Fleet Week is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the city’s cultural calendar featuring a heart-racing Air Show heard and seen for miles in every direction. The week is one of SF’s favorite traditions, with the air shows being particularly popular. The Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will happen on Oct. 11, 12, and 13. Best viewing for the Air Show is at Pier 39, Crissy Field, and Aquatic Park, but you can also enjoy a higher vantage point from Twin Peaks or Coit Tower. Of course, if you can make it onto a Bay cruise you’re in for a real treat from the water.
Check out the Fleet Week Airshow schedule below:
Perhaps the most anticipated part of SF’s Fleet Week is the iconic air show featuring the Blue Angels. Luckily, you have three days to catch the show, so you have plenty of chances to see the iconic planes in action.
- Friday Oct. 11: The show starts at 12:45 pm on Friday with the Anthem and the US Navy Parachute Team. A United Airlines plane and heritage flight will also take place before the Blue Angles are scheduled at 3:00 pm.
- Saturday Oct. 12: The air show is scheduled to start at 12:30 pm on Saturday, and the Blue Angels will take to the sky at 3:00 pm.
- Sunday Oct. 13: The final airshow of the weekend is scheduled for 12:30 pm on Sunday, with the Blue Angels finale at 3:00 pm.
Each year, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform a choreographed show between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, attracting fans from across the world. It’s the only air show in the U.S. to feature a commercial airliner, the United 777, doing a fully choreographed act. The Blue Angels themselves will be flying their new F-18 Super Hornets, a premium fighter aircraft that is sure to make a statement in the sky.
You’ll hear the Air Show from just about anywhere in the city, but some of the best places to watch from are Crissy Field, Twin Peaks, Aquatic Park, and anywhere around Fisherman’s Wharf.
Check out the Fleet Week SF schedule of other events below
SF Fleet Week has events all week long, including the Parade of Ships under Golden Gate Bridge and various concerts including one at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell. Check out the full SF Fleet Week schedule below.
- Neighborhood concert series (Oct. 7-14) at various venues
- Honor Our Fallen Concert (Oct. 10 at 6 pm at Herbst Theatre)
- Humanitarian Assistance Village (10am-4pm Oct. 11-13 at Marina Green)
- STEM Center (10am Oct. 11-13 at Marina Green)
- Parade of Ships (Oct. 11 along SF Waterfront)
- High School Band Challenge (10 am-2 pm on Oct. 14 at Golden Gate Park Bandshell)
- Ship Tours (Oct. 9-14 at Piers 27, 30/32, 35, and 15/17)
Check out these highlights from previous years for a preview of what’s to come:
This week long event is particularly exciting for Bay Area photographers, and we’re lucky to see some of the awesome shots they capture of the iconic airshow.
San Francisco Fleet Week has been a fixture on the Bay Area cultural calendar every October since 1981, when then-Senator Dianne Feinstein kicked off this celebration of the nation’s sea services. Feinstein continues to be an honorary co-chair of the event, which is now one of the biggest of its kind in the country. According to the Fleet Week website, the event generates $10 million annually for the city.
Learn more about San Francisco Fleet Week here, and be sure to mark your calendar for these awesome events happening from Oct. 7-14, 2024