Kansas City Air Show 2023: What to know before Blue Angels take off
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The 2023 Garmin KC Air Show is taking off this weekend at the New Century AirCenter in south Johnson County.
The show runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
One of the biggest attractions this year is the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, who arrived in town Thursday morning before the two-day air show. Johnson County residents will likely hear them soaring through the area as they prepare for their performances.
See video of the Blue Angels in the video player above.
If you're headed to the 2023 Garmin KC Air Show, here's what you need to know:
Tickets
There are still tickets for the air show available. General admission runs at $58 for adults, $17 for teens, and $9 for youth. Kids 5 and under are free. Tickets are valid for Saturday or Sunday, not both.
General admission tickets don't include a seat, so bring your own low seating chair or blanket.
The KC Air Show also offers many premium ticket levels, including box seats up front, special club areas, and catered meals.
Active-duty military with a government-issued ID will receive free admission at the gate. Veterans with ID will receive a discounted ticket price of $40 at the gate.
Buy tickets online. There are no refunds or exchanges, and the air show is a rain or shine event.
Parking and shuttles
There are two parking options available for the air show -- free off-site and paid on-site -- but regardless, guests are required to reserve a spot.
The free off-site parking includes a free shuttle ride to the KC Air Show.
Free parking lots are located at Garmin and the Olathe District Activity Center. They will open at 8 a.m.
Inbound shuttles will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and outbound shuttles will run from 1:30-5:30 p.m.
There are accessible parking spaces at both free lots and the shuttles are ADA accessible.
VIP and premium parking are the only on-site vehicle access for the air show. There is a Yellow VIP Lot at New Century Fieldhouse for $115 and a Red Premium Lot at IFF/Danisco for $150.
Performers
The KC Air Show will feature three military powerhouses: the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the U.S. Marines Corps F-35B Lightning II.
Kansas City is one of the only air shows with all three performing.
The Blue Angels' C-130J Super Hercules, which they use for logistics, will also be in attendance.
Civilian performers this year include the Red Bull Airforce, Randy Ball – MiG-17, Vampire Airshows, Franklin’s Flying Circus, Kyle Fowler – Go EZ Aerobatics, Tom Larkin – Mini Jet and Kansas City locals, KC Flight Formation.
See a full list of performers here. The show will be the same on both days.
Family Fun
There will also be plenty of experiences for the whole family to enjoy.
Guests can enjoy a virtual reality mission with the U.S. Air Force, a photo opportunity with Top Gun’s “Maverick” and “Ice Man” at the Midwest Ford Dealers tent, and an opportunity to drive exotic cars with “Precision Exotics.”
There will also be several aircraft on the ground for guests to explore, including an A-10 Thunderbolt, Black Hawk helicopter, F-16 Fighting Falcon and more.
See more air show attractions here.