The 2026 edition of Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, held at Shellharbour Airport 1.5 hours south of Sydney, has been postponed by 2 months to in-between the 15th & 17th of May, with the event returning to be held annually while the event’s name has being rebranded as Wings Over Shellharbour, which seems to be a combination of the previous name & the original name of the event, Wings Over Illawarra.
It comes as Paul Bennet Airshows, one of the performing aerobatic teams from the flagship Sydney Spectacular, has been given the mantle to operate the public air show weekend portion of the event, after overall operator, the Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation Limited, decided to sub-license that portion in order so they can focus more on strategic initiatives supporting the broader Australian aviation sector, particularly through AMDA’s Careers By AMDA program, which will remain as Day 1 of the event, with a focus on growing engagement with the Shellharbour community.
The AMDA Foundation signed the operator licence agreement with Shellharbour City Council in March 2023 & will expire in 2033, meaning the agreement is now for 9 editions rather the previous 5 editions. Shellharbour City Council has approved the sub-license.
However, the change of the overall public airshow weekend operator comes after only 1 edition of it which AMDA ended up producing, which saw a dramatic drop in attendance, likely attributable to the event’s rebranding. Paul Bennet Airshows was approached before August about taking over as that portion’s operator.
AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Giddings, said the decision to bring in a new operator was “incredibly hard” but said handing the reins over to Paul Bennet Airshows was “natural”:
As a new CEO, this was the thing that I got off the ground. It’s a big decision but ultimately Avalon Airshow is really big & it took a lot of our focus & having someone who is based here (Shellharbour) …it made perfect sense. We have already hit the ground running with some of our careers & skills program.
AMDA has always been committed to advancing Australia’s aviation & aerospace industries. We’re excited to support
Justin Giddings, AMDA Foundation CEO
Wings Over Shellharbour through our Careers By AMDA initiative, helping inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. I think it’s a really good outcome for the region.
Despite what Justin Giddings said, Paul Bennett Airshows isn’t based in Shellharbour but in Maitland, 217 kilometres to the north. However, it is a lot closer than the AMDA Foundation were. They were nearly 700 kilometres to the southwest in the neighbouring state of Victoria. Shellharbour & Maitland are both in the state of New South Wales.
Paul Bennett Airshows is an Australian aerobatic show provider who provides well-known acts such as The Sky Aces & aircraft such as the Wolf Pitts Pro, Zivko Edge 540, Yakovlev Yak-52, Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman TBM Avenger, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and North American Aviation T28 Trojan and P-51 Mustang.
Photograph: Illawarra Mercury/Adam McLean
Regarding the decision to return annually, Paul Bennet said:
I think because I’m mad. Our goal is to grow the industry in general & if you look at the V8 Supercars (touring car racing series), they don’t run every 2nd year, they run every year. I’ve always had a bit of a goal that I want to do a similar thing to what the V8 model is in a way but with airshows.
We’re absolutely thrilled to be continuing this incredible airshow. There’s nothing quite like seeing the joy & excitement it brings to the crowds.
It’s a big deal event. There’s a lot of people involved. It’s not just an instant thing.
Paul Bennet, ‘Paul Bennet Airshows’ Founder
This news is a boost to the local Illawarra tourism industry. However, the improvement won’t be felt until May 2027, when the return to annual airshows has officially happened.
Paul Bennet Airshows has already confirmed though that “plenty of blockbuster stunts & displays never before seen at Shellharbour” for the upcoming edition including Wings Over Shellharbour debuts for the De Havilland Vampire Jet, Cessna 02 Skymaster & the world’s only flying F4U-1D Corsair.
With all these changes, 1 immediate concern crops up. At the recent Avalon Australian International Airshow Paul Bennet Airshows was involved in a crash, which is still under investigation by the Australian Transportation Safety Board. Related but not involving Paul Bennet Airshows, there was also a fatal air crash at Shellharbour Airport in October last year that is also still under investigation. The former investigation should be completed by event time while the latter is currently a maybe.
Nevertheless, Shellharbour City Council Mayor, Chris Homer, said from what he had seen of Paul Bennet Airshows’ work, Wings Over Shellharbour would be “fabulous & fantastic”:
It seems to be a collaborative effort to get Paul Bennet off the ground once again, who is an expert not only in aviation but in putting on these events. I’m extremely pleased that in 2026 this is going to be a huge success. It was a great name before & as we can see, you have to have an evolution of things … seeing Shellharbour right there in the name, front & centre at our asset for such an exciting event. I’m ecstatic. It’s great.
Chris Homer, Shellharbour City Mayor
While catching the train is the best way to get to the event with a railway station less than 100 metres from the event gates, if you do end up driving, parking will cost AUD$5 – that’s half price on last edition! All parking charge proceeds will go to local community groups & all parking is off-site except for Platinum Pavilion ticket holders, buses, coaches & accredited disabled permit holders.
Wings Over Shellharbour will be held on 15-17 May 2026 at Shellharbour Airport with tickets on sale now here at early bird 2022 prices until the 31st of January!
Sydney Spectaculars 
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