Salou will host the Festa al Cel in September, Spain's oldest air show
The City Council wants Salou to become the permanent venue for the festival, an example of civic-military collaboration
- Commitment to the sky
- Programme and participants
- Organisational capacity
- Civil-military collaboration
The Salou City Council has taken a step forward and committed to becoming the permanent venue for the Festa al Cel, Spain's oldest air show and one of the most important in southern Europe, which in recent years has been looking for new venues after passing through Barcelona, Mataró and Lleida.
For the time being, the town in the province of Tarragona will host the 2025 edition, which will be held between 19 and 21 September and will feature more than 20 confirmed exhibitions, including aerobatic teams, fighter planes, helicopters and historic aircraft from all over Europe.
Commitment to the sky
As the mayor of the city, Pere Granados, pointed out at the presentation of the event held in Madrid, 'Salou has hosted the Costa Daurada Rally, one of the most important motor events in Spain, for the last 25 years. We felt we needed to take to the skies in the world of sport, so we contacted the Barcelona-Sabadell Aeroclub, organisers of the Festa al Cel, and offered them the opportunity to take advantage of the fantastic geographical setting provided by the Mediterranean to host this event, which will attract a large audience'.
During the presentation, the special link between Salou and aeronautics was highlighted, dating back to 1911, when aviator Lucien de Mazel flew over its beaches in a pioneering flight that took off from Reus, leaving a mark that is now being picked up by the Town Council.
Along with the Town Council and the Barcelona-Sabadell Aeroclub, the Escudería Targa Iberia, the Air and Space Army, AENA (through Reus Airport) and Port Aventura are collaborating in the organisation of the event.
The organisers estimate that more than 250,000 people will attend this event, in a city that is accustomed to managing significant tourist traffic. As Mayor Granados pointed out, ‘Salou has a population of 32,000, but in the summer it can receive more than two million visitors,’ so it has the organisational capacity to meet this challenge.
Programme and participants
A training day is scheduled for Thursday 19 September, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., which will allow the participating teams to carry out test flights and various technical checks.
On Friday 20 September, the Sunset Airshow will take place between 6.30pm and 9.30pm, transforming Llevant beach into a spectacle of light and sound, with illuminated flights, aerial choreography, music and synchronised pyrotechnics.
Finally, on Sunday 21 September, the Grand Airshow will be held between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., a spectacular aerial display full of acrobatics and excitement, which will also benefit from the fact that the orientation of Salou's beaches means that the public will not be facing the sun and will be able to enjoy the show in optimal conditions.
Among the 20 confirmed teams and aerial formations, the following stand out:
- Eurofighter Typhoon, F-18, ASPA and PAPEA Patrol (Air and Space Force).
- Tiger and Chinook helicopters (Army).
- Classic aircraft such as the Hispano Aviación Super Saeta, Texan T6, Dornier, Akrobat, Trener and Bückers (Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya).
- Cessna 152, 172, 182, Tecnam P2006T and Pipistrel Velis Elektro light aircraft (Barcelona-Sabadell Aeroclub).
- AT802F Fireboss (Catalan Regional Government Firefighters).
- DHC-6 Twin Otter amphibious aircraft (Isla Air).
- AW139 Maritime Rescue Helicopter (SAR).
- OV10B Bronco (European Museum of Fighter Aviation in Montélimar).
- Grob109B two-seater (Aerosparx).
- Extreme aerobatics by the Edge 540 (Juan Velarde) and the Sukhoi 26 (Cástor Fantoba).
- Paramotor exhibitions by Paramotores Barcelona.
- Carousel formation (Reus Aeroclub).
In addition, the festival will feature a shopping, exhibition and networking area, where companies linked to the aeronautical sector and industry will be present, with the aim of bringing the aeronautical sector closer to the public.
Organisational capacity
The festival director, Daniel Ventura, explained that they have been looking for venues for a festival that encompasses land, sea and air, and which requires a great deal of organisational effort in terms of security and mobility. ‘Salou offers us the triple dimension of capacity to organise this event and mobilise so many people; the proximity to Reus Airport and mobility plans already in place in a city that is used to receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors,’ he explained.
Ventura insisted that ‘we want the festival to be a showcase for aviation, to bring people closer to a sector that offers many career opportunities’.
Also present at the presentation was Juan Velarde, a competition pilot with more than 10 years' experience in the Spanish aerobatic team and who has taken part in the Red Bull Race, a speed trial.
Velarde, who welcomed the return of the festival, especially in a town like Salou, said that ‘as a pilot, this air show is an opportunity to share our passion. Pilots try to show what aircraft are capable of; our skills take a back seat’.
The pilot emphasised that ‘we also want to inspire new vocations. Catalonia is at the forefront of the Spanish aeronautical sector, so we want to encourage young people, the new generations, to get involved, not only in flying, but in all the possibilities that this industry offers’.
Civil-military collaboration
For Captain Manuel Cuenca, of the Air and Space Force, 'an air show is not only a display of skill, power and daring, but also a civil-military communion. It gives us the opportunity to explain what we do, the capabilities of our pilots and their training. It is an unbeatable opportunity to get closer to the people we serve, with the best ambassadors: F18, Eurofighter, ASPA and PAPEA.'
According to Cuenca, 'this festival is not just a show, but the best way to showcase ourselves and explain what we do, in the best way we know how, which is flying.'
Attendance at the festival is completely free and it will be broadcast on its YouTube channel, social media and with live connections by Catalan radio and television.
