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Wales Online
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
When and where you can see the Red Arrows in Cardiff today
When and where you can see the Red Arrows in Cardiff today The Red Arrows will be stopping off at a flying club in Cardiff, giving people the chance to see the famous aerobatics display team before they perform at the Wales Airshow in Swansea in July The Red Arrows are in Cardiff today (Image: PA ) The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, are set to delight spectators in Cardiff. Instead of waiting for July's Swansea's Airshow, where the Arrows will put on their usual display, fans can head down to see them just outside the capital Wednesday (June 4) and Thursday (June 5). The Red Arrows will be stationed at The Flying Club Rhoose, located at Cardiff Airport, from 10am on Wednesday, June 4 until 4pm on Thursday, June 5. They will be stopping off at the flying club while returning from an air show in the west country. Spectators will have the opportunity to see the Red Arrows parked up at the flying club, and they may even get a chance to see them practice in the sky above the capital. The flying club will open its doors from 9am on Wednesday, offering a limited menu of bacon rolls, sausage rolls, fresh coffee and cold drinks. On Thursday, the regular menu will be served until 2.30pm, with fresh rolls available until 4.30pm. Article continues below The next opportunity to see the Red Arrows will be at the Wales Airshow on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6. At the airshow, spectators can enjoy two days of breathtaking aerial displays over Swansea Bay, with the Red Arrows set to perform on both days. The annually free Wales National Airshow has been drawing crowds upwards of 200,000 with its blend of live music, food, drinks, and various ground activities. Swansea's Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, the Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events, and Tourism, shared his enthusiasm: "It's amazing to have the Red Arrows back again, and great to have them perform on both days at the 2025 Wales National Airshow. "Their displays never fail to captivate the audience, and we know that visitors will be just as thrilled as ever. Article continues below "This event is a highlight of Swansea's summer calendar, and we're expecting another fantastic turnout this year." The elite Red Arrows squad will also perform at several UK airshows this summer, which include not only the Welsh spectacle but also the English Riviera Airshow, Blackpool Airshow, and Eastbourne International Airshow.
Wales Online
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
The Red Arrows are going to be in Cardiff Wednesday and Thursday
The Red Arrows are going to be in Cardiff Wednesday and Thursday And here is how you can see them You can see the Red Arrows in Cardiff (Image: Getty Images ) The Red Arrows often delight crowds at sold out air shows with the impressive aerobatics displays and now you can see them in Cardiff. Officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team they are aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force. Normally the best way to see the Red Arrows in Wales is at the Wales Airshow in Swansea, which is taking place on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 this year but you can see them in Cardiff before then. The Red Arrows will be The Flying Club Rhoose, which is at Cardiff Airport in Rhoose, from 10am on Wednesday, June 4 until 4pm on Thursday, June 5. They will be making their way back from a air show in the west country and stopping off at the flying club. You will be able to see the Red Arrows parked up at the flying club and it is expected that they often practice above the flying club too, so you might catch a glimpse of them in the sky over the capital. The flying club will be open from 9am on Wednesday, serving a limited menu of bacon rolls, sausage rolls, fresh coffee and cold drinks. Article continues below On Thursday the normal menu will be served until 2.30pm and fresh rolls will be available until 4.30pm. The next chance to see the Red Arrows is at the Wales Airshow on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6. There you can see two days of breathtaking aerial displays over Swansea Bay, with the Red Arrows set to perform on both days. The free annual airshow attracts crowds of over 200,000 people, with live music, food and drinks and other activities available on the ground. Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events, and Tourism at Swansea Council, said: "It's amazing to have the Red Arrows back again, and great to have them perform on both days at the 2025 Wales National Airshow. "Their displays never fail to captivate the audience, and we know that visitors will be just as thrilled as ever. "This event is a highlight of Swansea's summer calendar, and we're expecting another fantastic turnout this year." The Red Arrows are set to perform at airshows around the UK this summer, including the English Riviera Airshow, the Blackpool Airshow, and the Eastbourne International Airshow. Article continues below
Wales Online
07-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
How much Swansea Council subsidises running of city leisure centres
How much Swansea Council subsidises running of city leisure centres The current model using a specialist provider is 'way more affordable', according to one senior officer, compared with the council running the facilities itself Swansea's flagship leisure centre, the LC (Image: Riochard Youle ) Swansea Council will need to keep subsidising leisure centres but using a third party to operate them is less expensive than running them itself, a meeting heard. Seven years ago the authority awarded a contract to leisure operator Freedom Leisure to run the LC, in the city centre, and other leisure centres in the county. The council retained ownership of the buildings and pays Freedom Leisure an annual management fee. The fee in 2023-24 was just over £987,000, which was around £1m less than the first year of the contract. There has been further financial support from the council to sustain the leisure centres during the Covid pandemic, when energy bills spiked following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and to help with wider cost-of-living pressures. Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration, and tourism, told a council scrutiny panel: "I'm very happy with the work Freedom Leisure are doing." Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here A report before the panel said visitor numbers to the seven leisure centres and sports complexes operated by Freedom Leisure rose by 3% in 2023-24 to just under 1.9m. Total income, excluding the management fee and external grants, was £8.31m in 2023-24 - again a 3% rise on the year before. Total expenditure was £9.88m, down a fraction from £9.89m in 2022-23. Article continues below The report said the council provided £228,542 on top of the management fee in 2023-24 to help with increased energy and staff costs, rises in inflation, and cost-of-living pressures. Cllr Jeff Jones asked if there would be a point when the council would not have to pay a subsidy. Cllr Francis-Davies replied that this was never the intention but that expenditure had come down compared to when the council ran the facilities. He said: "I don't think we will ever get to zero [subsidy]." He also said some councils in England had been forced to close leisure centres. Tracey McNulty, Swansea's head of cultural services, parks, and cleansing, said the council had analysed costs and set an "affordability level" before inviting operators to bid for the contract. "We have an operator that we effectively pay to run these leisure centres but at a level that's way more affordable than we could have achieved," she said. The meeting heard that usage of the refurbished Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre in Bonymaen, with its indoor sports pitch, had soared. Jeremy Rowe, Freedom Leisure operations director, said visitor numbers hit around 94,000 in 2024-25 compared to just over 33,500 in 2023-24. The indoor sports pitch at Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre, Bonymaen (Image: Swansea Council ) Mr Rowe went on to say that not-for-profit Freedom Leisure had maintenance obligations as part of its 19.5-year contract with the council. There had been investment in new boilers, pumps, and solar panels, he said, to bring down energy costs, and some external grant funding had been secured. Ms McNulty said the council maintained a "sinking fund" - a pot of money kept aside for when significant work was needed. Cllr Chris Holley, panel convenor, asked Freedom Leisure for a breakdown in writing of what the management fee consisted of and for details of who was responsible for what in terms of repairs. Cllr Sue Jones asked if something could be done to deter dog owners who didn't pick up their pets' mess at the Freedom Leisure-operated Elba Sports Complex, Gowerton. According to Cllr Jones primary schoolchildren locally had designed signs asking owners to be responsible but Freedom Leisure didn't allow them to be put up. Article continues below Mr Rowe said he would welcome "interaction" with the school on the issue and could look at social media messaging and potentially a campaign. Cllr Francis-Davies said the minority of dog owners who didn't pick up after them was a problem across parks more widely. "Everybody knows that dog owners should pick up dog mess," he said.
Wales Online
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Where to see the Red Arrows in Wales this year
Where to see the Red Arrows in Wales this year The Red Arrows will perform a flypast over UK skies to commemorate VE Day's 80th anniversary The Red Arrows will take to Welsh skies this summer (Image: Adrian White Photography ) People in Wales might not get the chance to spot the Red Arrows on the VE Day anniversary flypast but will be treated to a breath-taking aerial display during the summer. Crowds in Swansea can expect to enjoy their trademark formations, heart-stopping manoeuvres, and dazzling trails of red, white, and blue smoke during the Welsh Airshow. To commemorate VE Day's 80th anniversary on Monday, May 5, the Red Arrows are set to wow spectators with an impressive display as they fly over UK skies in their iconic formation. The planes will travel over much of the south of England as they travel to the capital for the flypast. They will start in the North Sea, off the coast of Norwich, before flying over East Anglia and Essex. The flypast itself will begin at 1.45pm and fly over the Mall and Buckingham Palace, lasting approximately five minutes. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here . Aside from the iconic Red Arrows, the flypast will also include a Lancaster bomber, the only aircraft from the conflict to be involved, and others like the Voyager, Atlas, C-17 Globemaster and the Typhoon. After flying over London they will head over Surrey before dispersing over Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Article continues below Although people in Wales will have to settle for watching the display from the TV, there will be the opportunity to see a stunning Red Arrows display in July later this year. The Red Arrows have previously wowed crowds at the Welsh Airshow (Image: Adrian White Photography ) The Welsh Airshow, on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July, will see two days of breath-taking aerial displays over Swansea Bay, with the Red Arrows set to perform on both days. The free annual airshow attracts crowds of over 200,000 people, with live music, food and drinks and other activities available on the ground. Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events, and Tourism at Swansea Council, said: "It's amazing to have the Red Arrows back again, and great to have them perform on both days at the 2025 Wales National Airshow. "Their displays never fail to captivate the audience, and we know that visitors will be just as thrilled as ever. This event is a highlight of Swansea's summer calendar, and we're expecting another fantastic turnout this year." Article continues below Lots more displays and attractions at the festival are due to be announced in coming weeks. The Red Arrows are set to perform at airshows around the country this summer, including the English Riviera Airshow, the Blackpool Airshow and Eastbourne International airshow.
