A spectacle that involves human-powered aircrafts and a 27-foot drop will be on full display this summer in downtown Milwaukee.
Red Bull recently announced that its annual “Flugtag” event will take place July 16 at Veterans Park. Named after the German word for “flying day,” the event is expected to draw an estimated 40,000 spectators to watch people launch homemade aircrafts into Lake Michigan from a 27-foot platform.
The Austria-based energy drink company has brought the event to more than 50 countries over the past 30 years, and this will be the first time it’s held in Wisconsin. Past host cities include Vienna, Austria in 2021; St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2019; Gothenburg, Sweden in 2015; and Long Beach California in 2013.
Up to 60, five-person teams will participate, working together to design and build their craft before taking flight. Teams will be judged on the creativity of their craft design, their performance, and the distance of their flight by a panel of five celebrity judges: Donald Driver, former Green Bay Packer; Nick Lorenz, Red Bull Snocross athlete from Kenosha; JMatt, Milwaukee-based content creator and founder of HashtagMKE; and Paige Forde, star of Kwik Trip’s social media channels.
In addition, Red Bull has enlisted some of the state’s up-and-coming talent as personal coaches who will help teams enhance their stage presence, up level their craft design and grow their social followings.
Winners will walk away with exclusive Red Bull experiences, meet-and-greets with Red Bull athletes, and other prizes, according to a news release.
Red Bull is calling on Wisconsin residents to enter the competition by signing up online. Teams have until April 25 to submit their application.
The World Record for the longest Flugtag flight currently sits at 258 feet. Past winners include Snoop’s Dogg House (San Francisco, 2003), Greased Lightning (Portland, 2008), and Flight at the Roxbury (Pittsburgh, 2017).
