OSHKOSH – More planes, more people!
The most recent edition of EAA AirVenture proved to be its most historic yet, with the world’s biggest fly-in convention attracting a new record-setting mark of approximately 704,000 visitors to Wittman Regional Airport July 21-27.
EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton confirmed the news in a release just one day after the completion of the aviation show’s 72nd edition, which flew past the previous attendance record of 686,000.
“We don’t have a stated goal with a specific number in mind, but we put together the best possible event with as many aviation groups in mind and hope the weather is good,” said EAA Director of Communications Dick Knapinski.
“We try to schedule the type of events that people can say they will only see at AirVenture, and then you see this event brings airplanes and people together like none other before.”
Read more: Caitlyn Jenner confirmed at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh after attending Cirrus party
Last year’s AirVenture reset the previous attendance mark of 677,000 in 2024.
It’s the third record-setting show in as many years, with last year’s show resetting the previous attendance mark of 677,000 in 2024.
This year also saw a record number 962 commercial exhibitors represented, significantly up from the previous record of 861 set just 12 months ago.
“I think any time you set a record you’re pleasantly surprised, especially coming off two record years, 2024 and 2023, but then you ask, where does it top out?” Knapinski said.
AirVenture’s attendance record always appeared to be under threat after crowds were turning out in large numbers for the first two days.
But the annual aviation convention didn’t enjoy its typical midweek surge, as early Wednesday morning thunderstorms combined with extreme heat index values of 102 helped to turn back would-be patrons.
Despite temperatures remaining in the 90s, the crowds still swarmed Wittman Field, with Saturday’s turnout likely proving to be one-day record attendance for AirVenture.
Goodyear Blimps, Pratt & Whitney’s massive 747 and the night drone shows proved to be major draws.
It was all in anticipation of Goodyear’s iconic blimps, Wingfoot One and Wingfoot Two, which ended a brief three-year hiatus to make a long-awaited return to Oshkosh.
AirVenture 2025 was the first event to feature multiple Goodyear airships in the company’s 100-year history of flying blimps.
Those were far from the only major draws, though, with Pratt & Whitney’s mammoth 184-foot-long 747 attracting hundreds of patrons waiting hours on end just for a chance to tour the “Queen of the Sky.”
Even Caitlyn Jenner made a surprise celebrity appearance after being spotted at both Cirrus’ July 20 party and exhibition booth.
The return of the night drone shows was also met with rave reviews.
“I think it is a combination of all those attractions because the Warbirds fans were saying there was a lot more variety in that section than in previous years,” Knapinski said.
“I know people clamor for the military jet teams and it is great when we have them, but this shows it’s not necessary for us to have them because we are a complete aviation gathering and not just an airshow.”
Here’s a further look at the figures:
2,543 total show planes, including 995 vintage aircraft, 910 homebuilt aircraft, 361 warbirds, 101 ultralights and light planes, 75 aerobatic aircraft, 74 seaplanes and amphibians, 18 rotorcraft and nine balloons.
More than 15,000 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for more than 40,000 visitors.
More than 1,6000 total sessions of forums, workshops and presentations hosted at 65 venues.
More than 21.2 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels during AirVenture, with engagement of 2 million. There were 20.3 million total social media video views (up 19% over 2024) gaining nearly 44,000 social media followers.
A total of 2,305 attendees registered at the International Visitors Tent from 94 countries outside the U.S., including the first-ever registered visitor from Senegal.
The EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual event to support its aviation education programs attracted more than 1,000 people and raised $2.49 million that will be focused on EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation.
901 media representatives were on site from six continents.
“Our theme of ‘One Week, Endless Possibilities’ certainly was true at Oshkosh in 2025,” Pelton wrote in the release.
“Whether it was aviation history or innovation or camaraderie, it was present in countless ways during the week. This year’s highlights and activities also set the foundation for what’s to come in the world of flight, and that is perhaps the most exciting development of all.”
A UW-Oshkosh study estimates the show has a total annual economic impact of $257 million on the Fox Valley region.
People check out a transport plane during the third day of EAA AirVenture 2025 at Wittman Regional Airport, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Oshkosh, Wis.
A recent independent study done by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh estimates AirVenture has $257 million of total economic impact on the Fox Valley annually — up from $171 million in 2017.
And that figure could balloon again considering those numbers were based on last year’s attendance.
This year’s AirVenture also appeared to be incident free, as there were no reported plane crashes in the area. A small jet, however, crashed in western Minnesota en route to Oshkosh July 21, killing one of two people on board.
Organizers may have been lucky to have avoided a potentially deadly disaster after a small aircraft was forced to veer off the taxiway to evade a head-on collision with a single-engine Cessna that took off in the wrong direction from Wittman Regional Airport.
Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 sets new attendance record: Final numbers