On your mark, get set, flugtag.
Wait, what exactly does “flugtag” mean? For the non-German folks among us, it translates to “flying day.” And fly they will in Red Bull Flutag 2024 — with the Tampa leg booked for Saturday, Nov. 9 — in which competitors build their own air crafts and sail off a 27-ft-high ramp into water (in this case the Hillsborough River).
Still wondering what this looks like? Take a peek at past competitions, and more importantly, designs. (Bailey’s fave is the pug.)
In addition to bringing well needed festive cheer to the Cigar City, leaders also predict the event will bring will bring in ~$3.4 million.
The last time the modern marvel competition took over Tampa was in 2011, when Willy Wonka’s Amazing Flying Flugtag Adventure took home the prize.
The best part of all? No tickets needed, this show’s free.
So what are the rules?
- Safety-wise, all participants must wear a life jacket and not be buckled into their vessels.
- Costumes are encouraged, but they’ve gotta swim in it too. Maybe we’ll see some flippers.
- All air crafts must pass a safety inspection.
What’s the timeline?
The competition happens at the Tampa Convention Center at 1 p.m. Organizers recommend arriving early though — to make sure you get those prime photo snapping places to watch. Doors open at 12 p.m., and the pre-flight warm up starts at 12:30 p.m.
And there will also be some competition for spots. The City of Tampa expects 100,000+ people to flood the Riverwalk front area to take in the fun.
The show — cough, competition — lasts through 4 p.m. and the winners will be announced promptly at 4:40 p.m. by a panel of celebrity judges, including Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
