Blue Angels Schedule: Best Places To Watch Annapolis Air Show

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Blue Angels will take to the Annapolis skies three times this week in honor of the Naval Academy's Commissioning Week.

Patch has you covered with when and where you can watch the fighter jets soar above the state capital.

When Are The Blue Angels In Annapolis?

The Blue Angels arrive on Tuesday. They will circle the town from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. before rehearsing their air show from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. This rehearsal is fairly similar to the full air show, but onlookers can expect slightly smaller crowds since it's not the official performance. If there is poor weather, the rehearsal will be rescheduled to Wednesday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The official Naval Academy Air Show is on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. That's when downtown Annapolis roadways, parking garages, coastlines, sidewalks and parks will all be packed to the brim with spectators. Pick your spot in advance and arrive early to avoid traffic.

Annapolis will have one last chance to catch a glimpse of the Blue Angels at the beginning of the graduation ceremony. The jets will fly over Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Friday at 10:04 a.m. There will not be any performance. This is just a flyover. Though the commissioning ceremony is closed to the public, residents may be able to see the Blue Angels fly overhead if they look to the skies.

• Related: Schedule Released For Blue Angels Return To Annapolis In 2025

The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets fly as fast as 700 mph and as slow as 120 mph during the demonstration. They can reach altitudes as high as 15,000 feet or as low as 50 feet. The jets are sometimes only 18 inches apart.

Where Can I See The Blue Angels In Annapolis?

The Blue Angels circle the town during their air show, so you're likely to catch a glimpse from any open area in the city.

The most important tip is to arrive early, even earlier than you may think is necessary. Popular spots get crowded, parking garages fill and roads close for security.

The most action-packed maneuvers happen over the Severn River near the Naval Academy. The best viewing spots on the Yard include Hospital Point, the walkways outside Hopper Hall and the athletic fields along Sims Road.

Attendees can pay to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and take the free shuttle from the south side of the football field. The bus drops off outside Alumni Hall. More details, including the exact hours, are posted here.

Guests will need a REAL ID to enter the Yard.

Directly across the Severn River, the grassy hillside of Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Park offers another waterfront viewpoint. The neighboring Severn Inn allows riverside dining with a perfect view of the show.

Both options are incredibly popular, so onlookers should arrive with plenty of time beforehand. The surrounding roadways also close an hour before the show. Traffic navigation details are posted at the bottom of this story.

Anywhere along City Dock or the Spa Creek Bridge sidewalk makes for a great view as well.

There will be a watch party at the Annapolis Mall atop the Green Parking Deck on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Perhaps the most iconic viewpoint of all is by boat. The Severn River and Spa Creek are closest to the action, but the South River also has clear vistas with fewer boating restrictions.

Anchoring, Parking Tips

The City of Annapolis Harbormaster's Office outlined these restrictions:

Practice Day: May 20th, 2025

Around 10:30 am: The restricted zone in the Severn River is closed to all unauthorized traffic.
Around 2:00 pm: Practice air show begins.
Around 4:00 pm: Once the all-clear is given, the Severn River will be open to all vessel traffic.
Show Day: May 21st, 2025

Around 1:30 pm: The restricted zone in the Severn River is closed to all unauthorized traffic.
Around 2:00 pm: Air show begins.
Around 4:00 pm: Once the all-clear is given, the Severn River will be open to all vessel traffic.

There will be a temporary channel in place marked with red and green buoys. This channel MUST be kept clear of anchored boats throughout the duration of the shows. You will be moved if you are anchored in this zone.

See the map below that will show the temporary zones that will be in place for the few days during the event.

Anchoring is only allowed outside of these red restricted zones. The best places to anchor are off of Greenbury Point by Carr Creek, or on the other side of the flight box closer to the Rt. 50 Bridge.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department offered these traffic navigation tips:

Expect significant traffic and travel delays. The event will affect traffic along the following routes: Taylor Avenue, Rowe Boulevard, Route 450 northbound and southbound in the area of the Naval Academy Bridge, Route 648, Greenbury Point Road, and St. Margarets Road.

Communities in the affected areas should be aware that some streets will be closed during the event, including the closing of the U.S. Naval Academy Bridge. Motorists traveling along the route should expect delays between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. Please use caution as increased pedestrian and heavy vehicular traffic is anticipated for the event.

Please note a few changes to the parking and traffic patterns for the 2025 events.

From one hour before show time, and remaining until a significant amount of pedestrian and vehicle traffic is cleared from the area following the show, the following traffic restrictions will be in place:

• Route 450 will be closed at Waveland Farms Road (which is a crossover) to all non-emergency vehicle traffic towards Annapolis. Note: Local residents will be able to access their neighborhoods
• The Route 450 bridge will be closed in both directions.
• Route 648 through St. Margarets will remain open. However, access to Route 450 will not be permitted.
• Vehicles on Ritchie Road will not be permitted to exit onto Route 450.
• Ride-Share Users: While the traffic plan is in place, ride-share users are instructed to meet their rides near the Severn Inn and Route 648.
• At the conclusion of the show, the Route 450 ramps from US50 East and West, and Ritchie Highway South, heading towards Annapolis, will be closed to allow for more rapid departure from the viewing areas. All roads will reopen after a significant amount of area traffic has been cleared.

The City of Annapolis offered these tips for seeing the Blue Angels:

TEMPORARY ROAD AND BRIDGE CLOSURES: On Tuesday, May 20, the Route 450 (Naval Academy) bridge will be closed between 10:45 a.m. and approximately 3:45 p.m. for the Blue Angels rehearsal. The bridge will close again on Wednesday, May 21 at approximately 1:45 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m. for the Blue Angels flight demonstration.

HEAVY TRAFFIC: Make a plan to accommodate the increase in cars and pedestrian traffic as much as possible. Allow yourself plenty of extra time and please be courteous to out-of-town drivers who are unfamiliar with City streets. Download the “Prepare Me Annapolis” mobile app (Apple/Android) to receive local traffic alerts. On Friday, May 24, security around Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Blvd. could make traffic slower than usual until approximately 3 p.m.

PARKING: Throughout Commissioning Week, the best option for getting onto the yard is to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and take the free shuttle to enter through the Visitor Center at Gate One. For those coming downtown for Blue Angels rehearsal and/or flight demonstration, City garages are the best option and include Hillman (150 Gorman Street), Gott’s (25 Calvert Street), Knighton (1A Colonial Ave.), and Park Place (One Park Place).

• Expect parking to be limited in downtown throughout the week. Visit www.AnnapolisParking.com to reserve garage parking at Gott’s and Knighton garages. Please note that there will be strict enforcement of metered parking, two-hour limited spaces, Residential Permit Zones, and red curbs. Visitors are strongly encouraged to park at Knighton (Corner of Colonial Avenue and West Street) and Park Place (Just off of West Street and Spa Road) garages and take the free downtown “magenta” shuttle. The shuttle can be tracked using the transloc app or on the web: https://accessannapolis.transloc.com/routes.
• On Friday, May 23, 2025, the parking lot at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will be reserved for graduation attendees. There will be no state employee parking at the stadium on Friday. City and state employees who normally park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium should relocate to the Calvert Street Garage.

INCREASED SECURITY: All residents and visitors should remain aware of their surroundings. Please identify suspicious personnel, packages, or behavior to local authorities. If you see something, say something. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency response. For non-emergency inquiries or questions, contact the Annapolis Call Center at 410-260-2211.

MARITIME TRAFFIC: Boaters must pay close attention to markers that delineate exclusionary zones and temporary channels (marked by red and green buoys) on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Please look for public safety boats and follow instructions promptly. The Annapolis Harbormaster operates on VHF 17. The area of Spa Creek and the Severn River will be patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Natural Resources Police, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Annapolis Harbormaster, Annapolis Police and Annapolis Fire Rescue boats. For complete information on maritime traffic rules and procedures, visit: the Annapolis Harbormaster’s web page on maritime rules for Blue Angels.

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