CHARLESTON — Your travel routes may hit some snags the rest of this week, whether by car, foot or boat, as some spots around the harbor will be off-limits while the Blue Angels practice ahead of their May 2 airshow.
The full military Charleston Airshow was previously scheduled to run the whole weekend but was shortened earlier this month to a single-day event featuring the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flying over Charleston Harbor. Joint Base Charleston officials cited increased operational requirements due to current global events. Operation Epic Fury, the war in Iran, began Feb. 28.
The 2026 Charleston Airshow will now run from 1-3 p.m. May 2.
The current weather forecast for May 2 is a high of 66 degrees Fahrenheit with a 100 percent chance of rain, according to National Weather Service Charleston.
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Citadel alumni fly over campus with the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly by the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly over the Charleston peninsula as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel watch as members of the Blue Angels fly over campus Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
The Blue Angels fly over the Charleston Gaillard Center as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni Holli Wilkins and her son Luke Wilkins,8, talk with CDR William Lind, USN (Ret.), as they visit campus to see the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show. Wilkins’s and her husband, Blue Angels team member Brandon Wilkins, are both Citadel alumni.
The Blue Angels fly near the steeple for St. Matthew’s Lutheran as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly behind the Second Presbyterian Church as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni fly over campus with the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
Citadel alumni fly over campus with the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly by the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly over the Charleston peninsula as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel watch as members of the Blue Angels fly over campus Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
The Blue Angels fly over the Charleston Gaillard Center as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni Holli Wilkins and her son Luke Wilkins,8, talk with CDR William Lind, USN (Ret.), as they visit campus to see the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show. Wilkins’s and her husband, Blue Angels team member Brandon Wilkins, are both Citadel alumni.
The Blue Angels fly near the steeple for St. Matthew’s Lutheran as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
The Blue Angels fly behind the Second Presbyterian Church as they train for the Saturday air show, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston.
Citadel alumni fly over campus with the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
Citadel alumni including pilot Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Wilkins and public affairs officer First Lieutenant Danielle Cribb fly over campus as members of the Blue Angels Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Charleston as they prepare for the air show.
A Blue Angels pilot told The Post and Courier that they’ll fly as long as there’s enough visibility and ceiling.
As of April 30, airshow officials say they are closely monitoring the weather and the event is still moving forward.
“In the case of rain, some flying demonstrations may be delayed, but the show will proceed unless weather poses a serious safety risk,” a spokesperson for Joint Base Charleston said. “Updates will be shared via the Team Charleston social media page as they are available, but the show cannot be rescheduled.”
Here’s what you need to know about closures.
April 30
The Ravenel Bridge’s pedestrian walkway will be closed until 3:30 p.m.
From noon-4 p.m., unauthorized vessels will not be allowed in the Charleston Harbor. Drones or unauthorized aircraft also will not be allowed over the Charleston Harbor from 11:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
May 1
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge pedestrian walkway will be closed from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and the bridge will have a single-lane closure in both directions from 1-3 p.m.
No unauthorized vessels will be allowed in the harbor from noon-4 p.m.
Again, drones and unauthorized aircraft will be prohibited from flying over the harbor between 12:30-3:30 p.m.
May 2: Show day
With the airshow set to begin at 1 p.m., expect heavy traffic beginning in the late morning, especially in downtown Charleston, along the Mount Pleasant waterfront and routes near the Ravenel Bridge.
The Ravenel Bridge’s pedestrian walkway will be closed from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and the bridge itself will be completely closed from 1:30-3 p.m.
Starting at 10 a.m., road closures and tow zones will be enforced around the South Carolina Aquarium, Waterfront Park and The Battery.
Residents within these closure zones will be able to access their homes, but street parking will not be available during show hours.
Additionally, like the days before, no unauthorized vessels will be allowed in the harbor from noon-4 p.m. The same restrictions go for drones or unauthorized aircraft between 12:30-3:30 p.m.
