Hyundai Air & Sea Show 2026 is organized by a third party (The National Salute to America’s Heroes / Hyundai Air & Sea Show), and there is no traditional ship-tour fleet week in Miami. NavyWeek.org is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the event, its organizers, or the U.S. military. Dates and schedules are set by the organizer and can change — always confirm current details on the official site before you travel.
Fleet Week in Miami & Fort Lauderdale
There’s no ship-tour fleet week in South Florida — but the Memorial Day Hyundai Air & Sea Show fills the sky over Miami Beach. The recap: who flew, the best free viewing, and when it returns.
If you are looking for a fleet week in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, here is the honest picture: South Florida does not host a traditional ship-tour fleet week with Navy ships open for public tours. What it has instead is one of the biggest military air shows in the country — the Hyundai Air & Sea Show, staged over the sand and surf of Miami Beach every Memorial Day weekend.
The 2026 show flew May 23–24 over Miami Beach, centered on Lummus Park and Ocean Drive in South Beach, and was headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, with military single-ship demonstrations, warbirds, and a “sea” component of military assets along the beach. The whole thing is free to watch from the sand. One important note for trip planning: despite the way people search for it, the show is in Miami Beach — not in Fort Lauderdale, which is about 45 minutes up the coast.
Because the 2026 edition has concluded, this guide is a recap and a planning resource for next year’s Memorial Day weekend. NavyWeek.org is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the Air & Sea Show, its organizers, or the U.S. military.
Opens usasalute.com
Hyundai Air & Sea Show 2026 — Key Facts
- 2026 dates
- May 23–24 (Memorial Day weekend) — concluded
- Ship-tour fleet week?
- No — South Florida’s military event is an air show
- Headliner
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
- Where
- Miami Beach — Lummus Park & Ocean Drive (not Fort Lauderdale)
- Cost
- Free from the beach; premium beach seating sold separately
- Returns
- Memorial Day weekend each year — watch usasalute.com
- Official site
- usasalute.com
Source: usasalute.com · Last verified: June 11, 2026
SCHEDULE
| Date | Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22Fri | Practice / arrivals (typical) | Daytime | Over Miami Beach |
| May 23Sat | Hyundai Air & Sea Show — day 1 | Flying ~late morning to afternoon | Miami Beach — Lummus Park / Ocean Drive |
| May 24Sun | Hyundai Air & Sea Show — day 2 | Flying ~late morning to afternoon | Miami Beach — Lummus Park / Ocean Drive |
These are the 2026 Memorial Day weekend dates, now concluded. The show returns over Miami Beach on Memorial Day weekend each year; the performer roster and daily flying order are set by the organizer — confirm next year’s details at usasalute.com.
AIR SHOW
The Hyundai Air & Sea Show flies a box out over the Atlantic off Miami Beach, so the entire South Beach shoreline is a natural grandstand — and watching from the sand is free. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headlined the 2026 show, joined by military single-ship demonstration teams, vintage warbirds, and search-and-rescue and special-operations demonstrations, with military hardware and vehicles staged along the beach for the “sea” half of the program.
Because the flying is over the water, no ticket is required for a great view from the public beach. The organizer sells premium reserved beach seating and hospitality nearer the show center on Lummus Park for those who want a guaranteed spot and amenities. Aircraft typically practice on the Friday before the weekend.
Performers
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds — 2026 headliner
- Military single-ship demonstrations & warbirds — Roster set by the organizer each year
The 2026 show flew Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (May 23–24), with the air program roughly late morning into the afternoon.
The headline jet team typically closes the daily program in the afternoon. Confirm the schedule at usasalute.com.
Aircraft usually arrive and practice on the Friday before the weekend — a quieter time to catch a preview over the beach.
The show is free from the public beach along Miami Beach. Premium reserved beach seating and hospitality near Lummus Park is ticketed and sold by the organizer — it buys a closer, reserved spot, not the only view.
BEST PLACES TO WATCH
The show flies over the Atlantic off South Beach, so anywhere along the Miami Beach sand works. These free vantage points span the shoreline from the show center outward.
The show center — directly in front of the flight line, with the densest crowds and premium seating.
Southern tip of the island with open Atlantic views and the cruise-ship channel.
Quieter sand just north of the show center with full sightlines to the flight box.
Far less crowded north-end beach for a relaxed view of the flying.
North of Miami Beach — wide beach and a good spot if South Beach is jammed.
GETTING THERE & PARKING
- Miami Beach traffic and parking on Memorial Day weekend are notoriously difficult — use the Miami Beach Trolley (free) and rideshare, and avoid driving onto the island midday if you can.
- From the mainland, park near a Metromover or bus connection and take transit across the causeways rather than fighting for South Beach parking.
- Coming from Fort Lauderdale (about 45 minutes north), allow extra time on the holiday weekend; Brightline and Tri-Rail connect the regions by train.
- Bring sun protection, water, and a beach setup — this is a full day on open sand with little shade.
- The beach is the free venue; you do not need a ticket to watch from the public sand.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The Air & Sea Show has a two-part history in South Florida. A version ran over Fort Lauderdale beach in the late 1990s and 2000s before going on hiatus, and it was revived as the Hyundai Air & Sea Show over Miami Beach in 2017, where it has anchored Memorial Day weekend since. The event honors the U.S. armed forces and frames the holiday weekend around military aviation and a beachfront salute to the services.
Unlike a fleet week, the show does not bring Navy ships into port for public tours — Miami’s working harbor is PortMiami, a major cruise and cargo port that is not set up for public warship visits. The spectacle here is in the air and along the sand, not at a pier.
For travelers who specifically want to tour Navy ships, South Florida is not the place; the nearest fleet and tall-ship events in 2026 were on the Gulf Coast (Fleet Week Houston, hosted at Galveston in April) and up the Atlantic seaboard with the SAIL250 flotilla. But for a free, world-class military air show on a famous beach, the Memorial Day Hyundai Air & Sea Show is the South Florida event.
PAST YEARS
The event was revived as the Hyundai Air & Sea Show over Miami Beach in 2017, after an earlier Fort Lauderdale-era show; it has anchored Memorial Day weekend in Miami Beach since.
SOURCES
- Hyundai Air & Sea Show — official site — National Salute to America’s Heroes
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds — U.S. Air Force
- City of Miami Beach — special events — City of Miami Beach
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
MORE FLEET WEEKS
All U.S. fleet weeksEditorial policy
- Source priority. We cite the official Hyundai Air & Sea Show organizer site (usasalute.com) and primary news coverage first. Dates, schedules, and event details are quoted from those sources and confirmed on the "Last verified" date above.
- Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
- Review cadence. Because the organizer can change dates, performers, and schedules at any time, this guide is re-verified against the official site on a recurring basis and whenever a reader reports a change.
- Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
- Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
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