PHOTOS: 2026 Duluth Airshow Draws Large Crowds, Despite Heat

The 2026 Duluth Airshow wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, marking the 26th anniversary of what is known as Minnesota's largest air show.

While there was plenty of sunny sky conditions for great flying and viewing, the weather also brought with it hot temperatures. Mid-to-upper 80s on Saturday and 90s on Sunday prompted the event's emcee to encourage the crowds to "stay hydrated and keep applying that sunscreen".

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Despite the hot temperatures, the event drew large crowds. Most of the publicly accessible area along the runway on Saturday was packed with crowds of tens of thousands of people.

The event's organizers told the Duluth News Tribune [PAYWALL] they estimated Saturday's crowd to be around 30,000 people, while Sunday's crowd was around 20,000.

The sky conditions were favorable for good flying, with the full slate of performances taking to the sky through the weekend.

From the U.S. Air Force's Wings of Blue Parachute Team bringing in the American Flag to start the day to Duluth's own 148th Fighter Wing providing a demonstration with a pair of F-16s to the headliners of the weekend, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, there was plenty of excitement to see in the sky over the Duluth International Airport.

This year's show also featured a number of aerobatic pilots, including Bob Richards and his Pitts Special biplane “Machaira” making their debut in Duluth and wingwalker Carol Pilon wowing the crowd striking poses standing on top of the wing of her plane.

There were also several nods to historic military aviation, with flights of a B-25 and P-38 during the show as well as both a FG-1D Corsair and P-51 Mustang flying together.

Here's a look what was seen at this year's Duluth Airshow. To see any photo larger, just tap on it. You can also page through the full-screen images.

2026 Duluth Airshow In Photos

The 2026 Duluth Airshow was July 11 and 12. The 26th annual Duluth Airshow drew large crowds, despite hot conditions. The hot weather was accompanied by lots of sun with passing clouds, making for good show viewing.

This year's slate of aerial performers was headlined by the US Air Force Thunderbirds, with lots of other aerobatic feats shown off by a variety of pilots and performers.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth