“Record breaking attendance,” has been the phrase of the week for Lincoln.
The 2023 Guardians of Freedom Airshow officially broke attendance records last weekend as hundreds of thousands of attendees came to Lincoln Airpark for an aviary experience, highlighted by performances from the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.
In total, more than 340,000 people attended the airshow on August 26 and 27, breaking the previous record for the largest attendance at a spectator event in Lincoln’s history. The previous record was set 12 years ago when over 250,000 people attended the Guardians of Freedom Airshow September 10 and 11, 2011.
This year’s Guardians of Freedom Airshow featured joint efforts of collaboration between the 155th Air Refueling Wing of the Nebraska National Guard and 55th Wing Offutt Air Force Base, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Airport Authority and City of Lincoln, highlighting Lincoln’s commitment to the event and celebration of our flying forces.
Other logistical and critical event coordination and execution were provided by Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Lincoln Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol and other organizations, which ensured this year’s event ran smoothly throughout the weekend.
The two-day family-friendly community event offered new and unique performers, stunts, exhibits and displays as one of the most anticipated events of the year, with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels headlining this year’s show, in addition to the U.S. Air Force F-16C Viper Demo team, U.S. Marine Corps C-130J Super Hercules – Fat Albert, U.S. Navy F-35C Lighting II Demo Team and many others.