After the April news about the cancellation of the SIAF festival, many thought that the traditional September airshow in Slovakia would not happen at all this year. But it will — on the same dates, September 5–6, 2026, only at the other end of the country and under a different name.
The Ministry of Defense of Slovakia took over the organization and will hold the event at the airfield in the city of Piešťany (Trnava Region, western Slovakia). The new name is Medzinárodné letecké dni Ministerstva obrany SR (IMAD 2026) (International Air Days of the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic). And the main thing for visitors: unlike the commercial SIAF, entry will be free for everyone, writes STVR.
Despite the change of organizer and location, the participation of foreign air forces is confirmed — pilots from Spain, Czechia, and Hungary are expected.
Why Košice lost the airshow
As early as October 30, 2025, Košice airport gave written consent to hold SIAF 2026, and the organizers actively prepared the event since autumn. But on April 21, 2026, the airport withdrew its consent. Official reasons — security risks, enhanced protection measures, the need to protect critical infrastructure, and increasing passenger traffic. The airport management decided not to hold any mass events on its territory until the end of 2026, reports Korzár.
The loss is doubly unfortunate for Košice. SIAF 2026 was to be the 14th festival and the first to take place in this city after a two-year break, and the program was planned to be dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the legendary aerobatic team Biele albatrosy, which was based here. Along with the airshow, the scientific conference Letectvo Slovenskej republiky, Košice 2026, prepared with the Aviation Faculty of the Technical University in Košice (TUKE), and the award ceremony Zlaté krídla — the national aviation award, were canceled, writes Košice Dnes.
What this means for you
If you live in the east of the country and planned a trip to SIAF — you will have to change your route: from Košice to Piešťany is over 300 kilometers. For those in western Slovakia or Bratislava, on the contrary, the event has become much more accessible. Free entry makes it a good option for a family weekend at the beginning of September — other interesting events across the country are collected in our event calendar.
