THE Royal Navy has announced a public open day aboard the 65,000-tonne flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth when it arrives in Gibraltar on October 25.
The massive aircraft carrier is currently sailing towards the Rock after departing Belfast on October 12 as part of a three-month deployment.
The Sunday visit offers the Rock’s locals and expats a unique chance to board the vessel and meet the crew, with free tickets available online – but expected to go quickly.
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Commodore Tim Davey, Commander British Forces, said the open day presents a ‘unique and rare opportunity’ for civilians to engage with the ship’s ‘cutting-edge capabilities’.
He said: “Given Gibraltar’s longstanding and close relationship with the Royal Navy, the event provides a fitting occasion to strengthen community connections.”
He added that it will ‘celebrate our shared history, and showcase the Navy’s role in supporting national security and prosperity both today and in the future’.
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The vessel, which left its Portsmouth home port on September 5, is currently serving as the floating command platform for NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF).
It marks the first time a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier has led the high-readiness maritime reaction force.
The crew is currently conducting advanced warfare training, which includes integrating Chinook helicopters and testing new uncrewed autonomous technologies.
The ship will continue this training programme into 2027, culminating in major multinational exercises with NATO allies.
The arrival comes nearly a year after the last Royal Navy aircraft carrier visited Gibraltar, when sister ship HMS Prince of Wales made a logistics stop on November 23, 2025.
HMS Queen Elizabeth itself made its first-ever overseas port visit to the Rock back in February 2018.
It is scheduled to resume its primary role as the UK’s high-readiness strike carrier in late 2027.
Tickets for the open day can be booked via buytickets.gi.
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