So it seems I wasn't the only one who felt this way.
I don't think it was the post Shoreham caution that made the display lame, though I would have liked to see some classic jets. The F16 and Harrier performances were spirited. The A350 gave a nice display, not at all inferior to A380 performances in previous years. The Red Arrows' display was clearly very limited and I believe they have been forced to tone down their display over built up areas.
For me, the disappointment was in not seeing any of the more modern aircraft. Have we given up trying to export the Eurofighter? Does nobody want to show off the F35? Are electric trainer aircraft too lame to be allowed to fly? There are some really interesting aircraft such as the EHang or EVolo that I would like to see. Perhaps they're not all ready for public demonstrations yet, but I will need to see something more interesting than an F16 to entice me back to the next show.