The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are set to roar back over Lake Washington during Seafair Weekend, scheduled Friday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. The long weekend brings the Boeing Seafair Air Show and the Apollo Mechanical Cup hydroplane races to Genesee Park, turning the south lake shoreline into an all‑afternoon festival zone packed with jets, boats and fans. If you are planning to watch from the shore or from a boat, expect big crowds, very loud engines and crowded transit, and build in extra time to get anywhere near the action.
When they'll fly
Seafair's published air show schedule lists practice runs on Thursday, July 30, roughly 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.–4:40 p.m., with official air show performances in a late afternoon window Friday through Sunday (roughly 3:40–4:50 p.m.). The organization also notes that general admission is free on Friday, July 31 courtesy of Windermere. Times and appearances are subject to change, so build some wiggle room into your day and do not count on a to‑the‑minute flyover. According to Seafair.
Blue Angels' official calendar
The Blue Angels' official tour calendar currently lists Seattle appearances on Aug. 1–2, 2026, which helps explain the slight differences between local schedules and the team's own listings. That calendar is posted by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and is the place to look for last‑minute changes. See the Blue Angels' official schedule: Blue Angels.
Where to watch
Genesee Park and Playfield (4316 S Genesee St) is the official Seafair viewing site, and the festival footprint runs along the south Lake Washington shoreline. For free shore‑side viewing, you have plenty of options, with vantage points scattered along the lake from south Seattle across to Mercer Island. Local roundups and Seafair maps highlight popular spots such as Mount Baker Park, Colman Park, Pritchard Island Beach, Stan Sayres Memorial Park and Aubrey Davis Park as go‑to choices for jet watching. According to Greater Seattle on the Cheap.
Tickets and passes
Seafair offers a mix of single‑day, weekend and three‑day passes, plus premium hospitality packages, with Friday designated as a community day that features free general admission. Recent ticket listings put a three‑day championship pass at about $134.38 (plus fees), a weekend adult pass around $92.51 and single‑day adult tickets at roughly $54.97, with youth (0–12) admitted free and senior discounts available. For exact pricing and to lock in your passes, check the event ticketing page and local coverage. As reported by FOX 13 Seattle.
Getting there and traffic
King County transit officials are strongly nudging festivalgoers toward buses and trains instead of steering wheels. The advice: take Link Light Rail to Columbia City, then hop the Seafair shuttle from the station to Genesee Park, and look for extra Metro service on nearby Route 50 during the weekend. Drivers should brace for heavy traffic on Lake Washington Boulevard and surrounding neighborhood streets, very limited official parking and long waves of pedestrians spilling out after the flyovers. If you are using rideshare, have a pickup and drop‑off plan that does not involve stopping in the middle of a clogged arterial. For transit advisories and any planned reroutes, check Metro's event alerts and service advisories. According to King County Metro.
Quick tips: bring ear protection, water and sunscreen, show up well before the afternoon flyover window and figure out your exit route before the jets take off. If you want a slightly calmer scene, pick a more distant shoreline park or watch from a boat on the lake, and always give the official event pages a quick check on the morning of the show for any last‑minute changes.
