Oshkosh AirVenture 2026: Dates, Tickets, and the Complete Visitor Guide
There is a week every summer when the whole of General Aviation seems to point in one direction: a small city in Wisconsin.
Oshkosh AirVenture 2026 is that week. Held at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, it is the largest annual gathering in General Aviation and one of the defining events on the aviation calendar. Pilots plan their year around it.
For seven days, a working airfield turns into the center of the flying world. If you have ever wanted to understand why so many pilots treat this as a pilgrimage, walk the flightline once and you will.
AirVenture is where the entire flying community gathers in one place
Most aviation events serve a niche. AirVenture serves all of them at once.
Warbird owners, homebuilders, ultralight fliers, aerobatic performers, aircraft manufacturers, student pilots and the merely curious share the same grass and the same taxiways for a week. The overlap is the point. You meet people you would never cross paths with anywhere else.
AirVenture is less a trade show than an annual reunion for people who love to fly. That feeling – familiar faces, aircraft you only read about now parked within arm’s reach – is what brings so many attendees back every single year.
The event is organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and its home in Oshkosh has become shorthand for the whole gathering. Say “Oshkosh” to a pilot and no further explanation is needed.
Around 10,000 aircraft make Oshkosh home to the world’s busiest control tower
The scale is hard to convey until you see it from the ground.
Roughly 10,000 aircraft converge on Oshkosh over the course of the week. That volume of arrivals makes the Wittman Regional control tower, working frequency 118.5, the busiest in the world during AirVenture.
In practice, that means normal radio procedure does not apply. To keep thousands of arrivals flowing safely, the FAA publishes special arrival procedures every year in a dedicated NOTAM.
The best known of these is the Fisk visual arrival, where inbound pilots follow railroad tracks and landmarks while controllers, working from the ground, identify each aircraft by type and color over the radio and ask pilots to rock their wings to acknowledge an instruction rather than reply by voice.
If you plan to fly in yourself, studying the current FAA NOTAM cover to cover is not optional – it is the price of admission to the airspace. Read it early, brief it, and fly it exactly as written.
More than 600,000 visitors arrive from dozens of countries
On the ground, the crowd matches the sky.
More than 600,000 visitors attend AirVenture each year, traveling in from dozens of countries. The international flavor is real: you will hear a dozen languages walking the exhibit grounds, and flags from around the world fly over the campsites.
It is a big crowd, but it moves like a community. People stop to talk about airplanes with strangers because everyone is there for the same reason.
What to see: air shows, warbirds, forums and camping under the wings
The daily rhythm is built around the afternoon air shows, with night air shows adding pyrotechnics and lit aircraft after dark on select evenings.
Between shows, the grounds are the attraction. A few of the areas worth your time:
Warbirds and vintage aircraft, from restored fighters and bombers to golden-age classics kept in flying condition.
Homebuilts and ultralights, the experimental heart of EAA, where builders talk openly about what they made and how.
Aerobatic performers, practicing and flying in the show box each afternoon.
Exhibit hangars, where manufacturers, avionics makers and suppliers display current aircraft and equipment.
Hundreds of forums and hands-on workshops, covering everything from fabric covering and engine work to weather, navigation and buying your first airplane.
Then there is the culture that defines the week: camping under the wings. Thousands of pilots tent beside their own aircraft in the grass parking areas, and the evenings on the flightline – coffee, quiet conversation, the last light on rows of airplanes – are what many attendees remember most.
You do not need to be a pilot to feel it. But if you are one, it lands differently.
Plan your 2026 visit early – the area fills up fast
Here is what to lock in now.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 runs July 20-26, 2026, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
For tickets and the daily schedule, go straight to the official EAA pages rather than third-party resellers. The main event hub is eaa.org/airventure, and ticket information lives at eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-tickets. The daily program, performer lineup and forum schedule are published there as the event approaches.
Flying in. Study the official FAA NOTAM for AirVenture and brief the Fisk arrival before you launch. Fly the profile, altitudes and airspeeds exactly, and have a plan for holding or diverting if arrivals are paused.
Driving and parking. Roads around Oshkosh carry heavy traffic all week, and the main parking areas sit a walk or shuttle ride from the gates. Arrive early in the day when you can.
Lodging and camping. Rooms in Oshkosh and the surrounding towns book out far in advance, so reserve as soon as you decide to go. On-site camping – whether beside your aircraft or in the general campgrounds – is part of the full AirVenture experience and needs its own early planning.
The single best piece of advice is the oldest one: plan early. The area fills up, and the people who enjoy the week most are the ones who sorted tickets, transport and a place to sleep months ahead.
AirVenture is where the whole spectrum of General Aviation shows up in one place, and modern light aircraft are very much part of that picture. Tecnam, the Italian manufacturer, builds trainers and personal aircraft flown in more than 65 countries, and visitors who want to see one up close can arrange a demo through a local dealer or simply visit us at booth 247.
FAQ
What are the dates for AirVenture 2026?
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 runs from July 20 to July 26, 2026. The event takes place at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and spans seven days of air shows, forums, exhibits and fly-in arrivals. It is worth planning tickets, travel and lodging well in advance, since the Oshkosh area fills up quickly during the week.
How much are tickets to Oshkosh 2026?
Ticket prices for AirVenture vary by day, admission type and EAA membership status, and daily versus weekly passes are offered. For accurate, current pricing, buy directly from the official EAA site at eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-tickets rather than third-party resellers. Purchasing early helps you plan the rest of your trip around confirmed admission.
Is Oshkosh the biggest airshow in the world?
AirVenture is widely regarded as the largest annual gathering in General Aviation. Around 10,000 aircraft arrive during the week and more than 600,000 visitors attend from dozens of countries. The sheer volume of traffic makes the Wittman Regional control tower, on frequency 118.5, the busiest in the world for the duration of the event.
What is the best day to go to EAA AirVenture?
There is no single best day – each has its own character, and the afternoon air shows run throughout the week. Opening days tend to be busiest with fresh arrivals, while midweek can feel slightly calmer for forums and exhibits. Check the official daily schedule on eaa.org/airventure to match your visit to the performers and events you most want to see.
Can I fly my own aircraft into AirVenture 2026?
Yes, but you must study and follow the special FAA arrival procedures published in the AirVenture NOTAM each year. The Fisk visual arrival uses landmarks, light-signal instructions and non-standard radio work to manage thousands of aircraft. Brief the current NOTAM thoroughly before departure and fly the published altitudes and airspeeds exactly as written.