The Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival will return May 28 - 30, 2026
Download images here and watch recap video here
Images courtesy of Visit Atlantic City
Atlantic City, NJ, July 29, 2025 - On July 15 - 16, Visit Atlantic City and Herb Gillen Airshows hosted the inaugural Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival in Atlantic City, which boasted an impressive 150,000 attendees resulting in $19 million in economic impact.
This spectacular aerial event reimagined the popular Atlantic City Airshow that took place on the Boardwalk and beach in year’s past. Attendees were dazzled with stunning performances by the Misty Blues Parachute Team, an all-women skydiving team; Skip Stewart, an award-winning aerobatic daredevil; Thom Richard FM-2 Wildcat, a classic U.S. Navy fighter and many more. In addition to the thrilling air performances, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a free car show at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, listen to a pipe organ demonstration, watch classic silent films, participate in ESPN’s slippery stairs and view a spectacular fireworks display all surrounding Jimmy Johnson’s Atlantic City “Quest for the Ring” Championship Fishing Week.
“We are thrilled to see an incredibly successful outcome from our first rendition of the Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival,” said Gary Musich, President and CEO of Visit Atlantic City. “The airshow has always been such a beloved event for locals and visitors alike, and we knew we had to bring it back to our shores. The success of the event further solidifies that the reinvestment in our beachfront destination continues to position Atlantic City as a must-visit for travelers. We were honored to see so many people come to Atlantic City to support our efforts for building community, and are eager to see how we will make next years' Soar & Shore Festival even better.”
“We were overwhelmed by the hospitality and the energy that we experienced at the inaugural Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival,” said Herb Gillen, President of Herb Gillen Airshows. “‘What a beautiful landscape and perfect environment to host an air show.”
The Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival will return for a thrilling weekend of aerial performances and non-stop fun May 28 - 30, 2026. The second rendition of the festival will be taking place over a weekend in May in an effort to allow even more visitors to experience the airshow and celebrate an unofficial kick off to summer in Atlantic City.
In collaboration with our partners at Herb Gillen Airshows, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA), and the City of Atlantic City, attendance numbers were analyzed by all parties to look at how Visit Atlantic City and its partners will collectively grow the annual festival.
For more information on where to go, stay and play in Atlantic City, visit www.visitatlanticcity.com and stay up to date with Soar & Shore event information by visiting www.visitatlanticcity.com/soarandshorefestival.
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About Visit Atlantic City
Visit Atlantic City is a 501(c)(6) organization formed and funded as a public-private partnership by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to create economic development through leisure tourism, conventions, sporting events, film production and group tourism.
Atlantic City is a premier travel destination on the East Coast with the first Boardwalk to open in the United States. Attracting visitors with its diverse array of tourism offerings, Atlantic City is home to nine casino resorts, an eclectic culinary scene, vibrant history, thrilling entertainment and family-friendly adventures, making it the ultimate destination where celebrations live on and inspire visitors to create memory-making moments.
For complete Atlantic City tourism and convention information, visit www.visitatlanticcity.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Herb Gillen Airshows
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Herb Gillen Airshows produces, markets, and provides consulting for air shows across the U.S. They are a member of the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) and are the recipients of more than 45 ICAS marketing awards. The company’s affiliated Herb Gillen Advertising has provided businesses and organizations advertising, marketing, and PR services since 2005.
Media Contacts
Visit Atlantic City
Jessica Kasunich
jessicak@visitatlanticcity.com
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