Victoria is getting the Snowbirds back. This time, the team made it official months ahead of the summer season — and with good reason.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds announced Thursday, April 23, that they will perform along Dallas Road in Victoria, British Columbia on August 4, 2026, wheels up at 5:00 PM. The show wasn’t part of the team’s original December 2025 schedule release. It’s a surprise addition, driven by public demand from Vancouver Island communities.
Regional media across the Island — from the Oak Bay News to the Parksville Qualicum News — confirmed the announcement the following morning, April 24. The show is free. No tickets, no registration. Show up to the Dallas Road waterfront, find your spot, and look up.
A 55th Season Worth Watching
2026 marks the 55th anniversary of Snowbirds performances. The team formally adopted its name on June 25, 1971 — the result of a naming contest held at Bushell Park Elementary School at CFB Moose Jaw — and has flown the nine-ship CT-114 Tutor formation in front of North American crowds ever since. The Snowbirds have spent five decades doing exactly what those who named them imagined they would.
Leading the 2026 team is Major Maciej Hatta, Snowbird 1. The formation team lead position requires a minimum rank of major and a prior tour with the squadron — a deliberate structure that keeps institutional knowledge flying in the number one slot.
The Aircraft — Still Flying, Still Precise
The CT-114 Tutor is a 1960s-era Canadian-designed jet. It first flew in 1960 and served as the RCAF’s primary trainer until 2000. The Snowbirds fly eleven of them: nine in the aerobatic performance — including two solo aircraft — and two spares piloted by advance and safety pilots who also provide live show commentary. That last part is a Snowbirds innovation. They were the first aerobatic team in the world to use music in their show, sometimes with live commentary from the performing pilots.
The Tutor’s J85-CAN-40 turbojet produces 2,700 pounds of thrust, good for a top speed of 486 mph and a service ceiling of 36,000 feet. During the show, the jets operate between 100 and 320 knots. In many formation passes, aircraft are separated by as little as 1.8 metres. Head-on crossing maneuvers place pilots roughly 33 feet apart — numbers that never get less impressive no matter how many times you’ve watched the team fly.
The Tutor fleet is under a Life Extension Program managed by L3Harris, keeping the jets airworthy through at least 2030. A replacement program previously budgeted at $500 million to $1.5 billion was discontinued in favor of the extension contract.
The full 35-minute routine covers more than 50 formations and maneuvers — loops, rolls, mirror passes, and the signature nine-jet formations that fill the airframe of every wide-angle lens on the waterfront.
The Official Word
“We are excited to announce that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing in Victoria. Bring the family, find a great spot and look up. We cannot wait to see you there.”
— Canadian Forces Snowbirds, Facebook announcement, April 23, 2026
What’s Next — On the Island and Beyond
Victoria opens a busy BC stretch. Three days after the Dallas Road display, the Snowbirds move east for the Abbotsford International Airshow, August 7–9, sharing the ramp with the CF-18 Hornet Tactical Demo and Red Bull Air Force. White Rock, BC follows on August 12. The season closes in California — Huntington Beach on October 3–4, then Sacramento on October 10–11.
No registration. No tickets. No gate. Dallas Road, August 4, 5:00 PM. The Snowbirds are back by popular demand — show up and remind them why.
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