Seafair Fleet Week 2026

The Seafair dates, the Blue Angels air show over Lake Washington, the Parade of Ships into Elliott Bay, free ship tours at Pier 46, and the best free lakeside places to watch the jets.

Seafair Fleet Week is Seattle’s great summer tradition — a two-part celebration that splits between the saltwater and the lake. Fleet Week opens in late July when U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships parade into Elliott Bay and dock for free public tours on the downtown waterfront, and it builds to the Boeing Seafair Air Show, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, roaring over Lake Washington on the first weekend of August. In 2026, Fleet Week opens around July 21 and the Blue Angels fly July 31 through August 2.

This guide covers both halves: when the ships arrive and where to tour them at Pier 46, when the Blue Angels fly over the lake and the best free shoreline spots to watch, and the one thing that trips up first-timers — unlike San Francisco, Seattle’s air-show festival grounds at Genesee Park are ticketed, but the jets themselves are free to watch from the surrounding Lake Washington parks. Seafair is produced by the nonprofit Seafair organization; NavyWeek.org is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Seafair or the U.S. Navy.

Written by

T Madden Alford — U.S. Naval Academy '02 · U.S. Navy Reserve Captain (O-6) · Former submarine officer, USS Key West

Reviewed by

Erik Rivera — U.S. Naval Academy '04 · Former U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer

Last reviewed: June 11, 2026 · Sources checked: June 11, 2026

Opens seafair.org

SCHEDULE

Practice times in particular can change at a moment’s notice, and the Parade of Ships time is set close to the event. Confirm the day-of schedule and gate times at seafair.org before you head out.

AIR SHOW

The Boeing Seafair Air Show fills the sky over Lake Washington on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 31–August 2, 2026, with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels — flying their F/A-18 Super Hornets — confirmed as the headliners. The Blue Angels typically fly the closing demonstration each day in the late afternoon, roughly 3:40 to 4:50 p.m. The show uses the same flight box as 2024, which keeps the I-90 floating bridge and Seward Park open during the performances.

Around the Blue Angels, the lineup features civilian aerobatic pilots, vintage aircraft, and parachute demonstrations. A special 2026 guest tied to America’s 250th is the National Archives "Freedom Plane," a Boeing 737 in commemorative livery touring the country and finishing its run in Seattle. The full civilian roster is published on the official site as the show approaches; the Blue Angels also fly practice passes over the lake on Thursday, July 30.

Performers

• U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron — Confirmed headliner
• Civilian aerobatic & vintage aircraft — Full roster TBA
• Parachute demonstration teams

PARADE OF SHIPS

Fleet Week opens with the Parade of Ships through Elliott Bay in late July. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels — escorted by a Seattle Fire Department fireboat throwing a water salute — parade across the bay on the downtown saltwater side before docking at Pier 46. You can watch the water-based parade for free from the Seattle waterfront, with narration carried on local radio.

It is important to keep the geography straight: the ships parade and dock on Elliott Bay (saltwater, downtown), while the Blue Angels fly several miles away over Lake Washington (freshwater, to the southeast). They are two different venues on two different bodies of water — plan transit for each separately.

FREE SHIP TOURS

After the parade, the visiting ships open for free public tours at Pier 46 on the downtown Seattle waterfront, generally July 30 through August 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Base Seattle is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday). Active-duty Sailors and Coast Guardsmen are aboard to talk about the ships, and you can also visit the Coast Guard Museum Northwest during Fleet Week.

A REAL ID-compliant government-issued photo ID is required to tour the ships, which are treated as federal facilities. Lines build on the weekend, so an early or weekday visit is the easiest way aboard — and the specific 2026 vessels are announced close to the event.

What to know before you board

• Bring a REAL ID-compliant government-issued photo ID for adults.
• Travel light — large bags and backpacks are discouraged with no on-site storage.
• Expect security screening before boarding.
• Closed-toe shoes are recommended for ladders and steel decks.
• No weapons or sharp objects; no pets (service animals excepted).

BEST PLACES TO WATCH

The Blue Angels fly a wide box over Lake Washington, so the best free seats ring the lake — from Seattle’s south-end parks to the Mercer Island and Eastside shores. (For the ships, head instead to the downtown Elliott Bay waterfront.) These free spots run roughly clockwise around the show box.

GETTING THERE & PARKING

• The air show and the ships are in different places — plan transit for each. For the Blue Angels over Lake Washington, take Link light rail to Columbia City or Mount Baker and connect by bus or bike to the south-end parks; for the ships, ride Link or buses to the downtown Elliott Bay waterfront.
• Parking around Lake Washington’s parks is extremely limited and the closest lots fill hours before the jets fly — biking the Lake Washington Loop or taking transit is far easier.
• The show uses the 2024 flight box, so the I-90 floating bridge and Seward Park stay open during performances; still expect road and trail congestion near Genesee, Seward, and Mount Baker parks.
• Argosy runs Blue Angels viewing cruises from Lake Union, and water taxis and ferries serve the saltwater side — useful for the ships and Elliott Bay.
• The heaviest crowds leave right after the Blue Angels finish around 4:50 p.m.; build in extra time for the trip home.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

Seafair began in 1950 as Seattle’s civic summer festival, and Fleet Week has been part of it from the early years — a salute to the men and women who serve at sea and a celebration of the Puget Sound region’s deep Navy and maritime roots. It grew into one of the city’s defining traditions, running for weeks across neighborhoods each summer.

The Boeing Seafair Air Show over Lake Washington, with the Blue Angels as the long-running headliners, shares its weekend with the HomeStreet Cup unlimited hydroplane races on the same stretch of water — a uniquely Seattle pairing of jets overhead and roostertail-throwing boats below. The combination draws hundreds of thousands to the lakeshore.

In 2026, Seafair Fleet Week ties into the nation’s 250th anniversary, hosting the National Archives "Freedom Plane" — a commemorative Boeing 737 carrying founding-era documents — as it finishes a multi-city tour in Seattle alongside the air show.

PAST YEARS

SOURCES

• Seafair Fleet Week & Boeing Maritime Celebration — Seafair
• Seafair — official site — Seafair
• Argosy Blue Angels viewing cruise — Argosy Cruises

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