Air|Water is back in SoCal for 2026
It’s kind of the most California thing ever.
You’re Paying $65 to See Cars You Already Saw on Sunday
Mark your calendars: Air|Water Driven by Mobil 1 returns to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Southern California’s largest single-marque event is back for its fourth major installment, promising over a thousand Porsches, 50+ exhibitors, a live Broad Arrow auction, and an after-party at Finish Line Auto Club just down the road.
Here’s the thing, though. I say this with full love and zero judgment: you have already seen basically every car that will be parked on those grounds. Last Sunday at the Malibu Country Mart. The weekend before at Supercar Sundays in Woodland Hills. Last Tuesday at the Whole Foods on Wilshire. And absolutely, definitely, at every South OC Cars & Coffee since 2019.
Southern California is, blessedly, just like this. It’s the only place on earth where a GT3 RS in Lizard Green is a parking lot car. Where you can be stuck in traffic on PCH behind a Singer. Where a 964 Turbo is just some guy’s Tuesday grocery getter. We live in the greatest outdoor Porsche museum in the world, and admission is free.
So Why Go?
Because context is everything, and Air|Water actually delivers it.
This year’s event leans into some genuinely cool anniversaries: the 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport, the 60th anniversary of GTP class racing, and the 90th birthday of Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche. The man who sketched the original 911.
Plus, where else are you going to see a 1988 944 Turbo Cup racer in 7-Up livery up for auction next to an SCCA D-Production 924? The Broad Arrow live auction alone is worth the price of admission if your self-control is questionable and your credit card limit is not.
And the Boxster, forever the underdog, forever under-appreciated, is getting its own dedicated celebration this year. Justice, finally.
What You’re Actually Getting for $65
General admission runs $65, kids 12 and under are free, and parking is $15. Here’s the rough breakdown of your day:
9 AM – 3 PM: Wander 1,000+ Porsches on the OC Fair grounds, from the earliest 356s to the latest EVs
Exhibitor Hall: 50+ vendors selling everything from wheels to wearables, many Porsche-specific. Help me find the die-cast table!
Live Broad Arrow Auction: Bid on rare machines or just enjoy the secondhand stress of watching other people spend crazy money
After-party at Finish Line Auto Club: Runway views, more cars, limited VIP tickets
Optional Road to Air|Water rally (separate ticket): A Friday drive produced by Overcrest that winds through a demanding route and ends with early access to the show
The Verdict
Is $65 a little spicy for a car show where you could theoretically replicate 80% of the lineup by driving down PCH on a Sunday morning? Sure. Absolutely. One hundred percent.
But Air|Water is less about discovery and more about congregation. It’s a reason to be in the same place at the same time as every other person who gets unreasonably emotional about flat-six engines and German engineering. The cars are familiar. The community is the point.
And honestly, in a city where we’re all stuck in our own separate car bubbles doing 12 mph on the 10, that’s worth something.
See you in Costa Mesa. I’ll be the one crying in front of the Butzi tribute display.
Air|Water Driven by Mobil 1 — Saturday, April 25, 2026. OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tickets on sale now at air-water.com.