Plymouth Armed Forces Day brings a jam-packed day of family fun and entertainment to Plymouth Hoe on Saturday 30 June.
The event, in association with Babcock, runs from 9.20am to 10.30pm and offers a huge range of things to see and do, including: military vehicles and equipment, the Royal Navy Dive Tank, weapons displays, three static helicopters, parades, military bands, live music and an incredible arena programme.
Will Erith, Programme Performance Director at Babcock Devonport, said: “Babcock is proud to be partnering with Plymouth City Council to support Armed Forces Day. It’s a fantastic occasion for us to mark the work of our Armed Forces and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our stand where this year we will be celebrating the Year of Engineering and will have hands on activities for everyone to enjoy.”
This year’s event includes special commemorations for RAF100, with a memorial service at 9.20am.
What’s On
A number of ‘villages’ set out across the Hoe will showcase the different armed forces and emergency services. There will be service personnel based in each village, on hand to answer questions and offer recruitment advice.
The Veterans’ Village, supported by Help for Heroes, will host over 75 charities and organisations. There’s lots of activities to take part in and things to explore, including historical military vehicles and storytelling sessions for children.
An exciting programme is planned for the main arena with senior Field Gun competitions and the popular Unarmed Combat Display by Royal Marines from 30 Commando Stonehouse.
The Junior Field Gun competition takes place throughout the day from 10.30am to 4.30pm in their dedicated arena space at the Elliot Street end of the Promenade and involves over 15 schools.
Air Display
There will be a thrilling two-hour air display, starting at 4.05pm. Aircraft including a Spitfire XIV, Calidus Gyro and Catalina will take to the skies above Plymouth Sound to entertain spectators, who will also be able to enjoy dramatic aerobatic shows from Team Raven, the Muscle Pitts team biplane and the Fireflies Aerobatic Display Team.
The show will be opened with a search and rescue display, with the Bristow HM Coastguard, Newquay SAR Base, Sikorsky S92 helicopter and the Plymouth lifeboat working together.
The Red Devils, official parachute display team of the British Army, will close the show with a spectacular demonstration, landing in the water.
Evening Concert
Entertainment continues into the evening with a free evening concert, sponsored by C&G catering, starting at 6pm.
The main stage will be opened by the Ocean City Sound Barbershop Chorus, followed by the Military Wives Choir, swing-pop quartet Jack Pack and a Freddie Mercury Tribute act. The Capitol Motown and Soul Band will be headlining the evening with a selection of popular Motown classics.
Travel
There are plenty of car parks in the city centre within walking distance of Plymouth Hoe, with a full list available here. Western Approach car park is only £5 to park all day.
Disabled parking is available in Ballard House car park (West Hoe Road, PL1 3BJ), with a shuttle bus supplied by Plymouth Citybus operating between Ballard House and the Hoe from 8.30am to 6.30pm.
There are two road closures during the event:
7am to 7pm: Hoe Road from the Mound at the Citadel to the junction of Madeira Road, with parking restricted throughout this time
5.30pm to 7pm: Citadel Road from the junction of Lockyer Street, to the junction of Sussex Street, with parking restricted from 7am
Please note, the programme is subject to change.