If you’re planning to spend the day out at Pensacola Beach for the 2025 Pensacola Beach Blue Angels Airshow, you might as well make yourself comfortable. A handful of Pensacola Beach restaurants are opening their doors with ticketed events, many of which will feed you, keep you out of the sun, and offer access to clean restrooms. Here are a variety of restaurants that are opening their doors for Blue Angels watch parties.
Casino Beach Bar and Grille
41 Fort Pickens Road
Casino Beach Bar and Grille is at the center of all the action for the Pensacola Beach air show and is a one-stop shop for all the happenings on July 11-12. Casino Beach Bar’s tickets include the selected seat and a complimentary CBB Travel Mug. Every person must have a ticket to be on the property. Tickets secure you a seat from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Attendees will be able to sit on the sand and purchase Pensacola-inspired dishes, beach cocktails, and more, as listed on the event page.
Seating varies in pricing, including outside patio seating ($108.39 per seat,) inside seating ($65.75 per seat), beach chairs ($161.69 per seat), lifeguard chairs ($97.73 per seat) and tiki bar stools ($97.73 per seat.)
If you’re looking for a less-expensive option, opt for the Breakfast with the Blues option from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 9, which includes a full Breakfast with the Blues Buffet and opportunity to see the Blues take the sky front and center. Tickets are $45 per adult and $20 per child ages 12 and under. The buffet includes scrambled eggs, French toast, hashbrowns, pancakes, bacon, sausage, honey butter biscuits, mini assorted muffins and a fruit medley.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the event website here.
DRIFT
41 Fort Pickens Road
DRIFT offers a balcony view of the Blues on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a front-and-center view of the Blues, along with live music performances from 1 to 1:45 p.m. and again from 3 to 5 p.m., accompanied by a curated menu from the restaurant. Every person must have a ticket to be on the property. Tickets are $294.95 per person for indoor seating, outdoor seating and patio bar seating. Tickets can be purchased from the DRIFT website.
Bounce Beach Pensacola
400 Quietwater Beach Road
Bounce Beach is offering an exceptional rooftop viewing experience from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 11-12, providing an unobstructed view as the Blues take to the sky. Each ticket includes premium rooftop viewing access, a complimentary Blue Angels-inspired cocktail, live music, open-air entertainment, and beachfront vibes, according to the event description. Tickets start at $85 and can be purchased on Tabelist here.
Cruisin’ Tikis Pensacola Beach
Cruisin’ Tikis Pensacola Beach will offer a VIP Blue Angels Viewing Party package on July 12 for up to 8 people at $150 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. The package includes an anchored, private tiki cabana docked for 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with bar stools, blue tooth speakers, floats, rafts and water toys, a cooler with two bags of ice and 16 bottles of water, a Cruisin’ Tikis captain on standby and Sneaky Tiki Bar wristbands for entry, breakfast and lunch. Thursday and Friday packages are also available, call Cruisin’ Tikis at 850-778-TIKI to inquire and reserve.
Red Fish Blue Fish
5 Via De Luna Drive Unit B
Red Fish Blue Fish is offering table rentals to make sure you have a seat to catch the Blue Angels firsthand. All tables are reserved for 1.5 hours before the air show on Saturday and 30 minutes after. Four-top tables are available for $400 and six-top tables are available for $600. A 20% gratuity will be added to the final bill after the event. Table reservations include one parking spot per table, and a license plate will be needed to complete registration. For questions or further information call 850-712-9381. To make a reservation, visit the Red Fish Blue Fish Watch Party on SurveyMonkey.
Hilton Pensacola Beach
12 Via De Luna Drive
Hilton Pensacola Beach is hosting a watch party July 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton poolside, with shuttle transportation offered to and from Gulf Breeze High School. Tickets will include a full buffet offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., pool and beach access, live music and a private viewing area. Ticket pricing is as follows:
Blue Angel VIP Ticket (adult): Includes shuttle transportation to and from Gulf Breeze High School, access to a full buffet, complimentary sodas, and bottled water, one drink ticket redeemable for house liquor, wine, import or domestic beer, and access to Hilton pools. Accompanying children must have individual ticket purchases. ($200 per ticket)
Blue Angel VIP ticket (5-12 years old): Includes shuttle transportation, full buffet, complimentary sodas and bottled water, and access to Hilton pools. ($50) Accompanying children must have individual tickets.
Blue Angel VIP ticket (4 and under): Includes shuttle transportation, full buffet, complimentary sodas and bottled water, and access to Hilton pools. Accompanying children must have individual tickets. ($0.01)
Calvert’s in the Heights
670 Scenic Highway
For those unable to make it out to Pensacola Beach, Calvert’s in the Heights will be hosting a Red, White and Blues Watch Party from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday with a live stream of the air show in collaboration with Hellcat Production. The event, sponsored by the Naval Aviation Museum, will include air conditioning, frosty drinks, clean bathrooms, delicious food, and unbeatable bayfront views, according to the Calvert’s event description page.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels air show watch parties: Where to go for food, AC and a great view
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
