Thousands of Catalans enthusiastically enjoy the Festa al Cel on the beaches of Salou
Entire families from Salou and all over Catalonia gathered from early afternoon on the beaches of Levante and Poniente in Salou and Cambrils to enjoy with enthusiasm and admiration the Festa al Cel Salou 2025, a unique air show in Europe and one of the best in the world.
On the sand of the beach, the mayor of Salou, Pere Granados, a determined promoter of this impressive initiative that demonstrates the great usefulness of civic-military collaboration -military collaboration at a particularly delicate moment on the international scene, received effusive congratulations from his neighbors, who were delighted with the impressive display of skill and professionalism of the civilian and military pilots and all the teams that contributed to the revival of a major event that aims to remain and be celebrated for a long time in Salou, the capital of the Costa Dorada.
Civilians and military
The festival culminated with a fireworks display by British aircraft and a drone show offered by Port Aventura, just after one of the most exciting moments of the night when Spanish Army paratroopers, in the darkness of the night, jumped with flares on their boots and a large Spanish flag, landing on the beach in Salou to the applause of the thousands of people gathered there.
From early in the morning, the golden sands filled with a constant stream of families, groups of friends, and aviation enthusiasts, reaching a total of 180,000 people, who watched each of the acrobatic maneuvers in the sky with anticipation.
Applause and shouts of admiration erupted with each display. The little ones, with their eyes wide open and mouths agape, didn't want to miss a single detail of the planes and helicopters parading and performing pirouettes over the sea. “It's like being in a movie,” said a child with his eyes fixed on the sky, while his family smiled excitedly.
The program brought together big names and prestigious formations. Pilot Juan Velarde, a prominent member of the Bravo3 Repsol team and the Red Bull Air Race, once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the best aerobatic pilots in Europe. At his side, figures such as Cástor Fantoba, also an international reference, offered impossible choreography amid clouds of adrenaline and colored smoke.
300 drones
The British patrols Team Raven and Aerosuperbatics, with their spectacular wing walking routine—where acrobats walk on the wings in mid-flight—drew cries of disbelief from the audience. There was no shortage of classic and powerful military aircraft either: the American F-18, the European Eurofighter, the surprising OV10B Bronco, the Chinook and FAMET Tiger helicopters, as well as the PAPEA, the Air and Space Force Acrobatic Parachuting Patrol, which colored the sky with its unfurled flags.
The most intense applause came with the final show, 300 drones + Aerosparx, a combination of air displays, drone technology, and pyrotechnics never before seen in Europe, which lit up the night thanks to the collaboration with PortAventura World. The most exciting moment was when the letters “Salou” and the logo of the Festa al Cel itself were drawn in light in the sky, eliciting a unanimous ovation and leaving an image that will remain etched in the memory of thousands of attendees.
From Salou to the sky
Salou once again confirmed its ability to organize major international events and offered thousands of people a day of excitement, emotion, and spectacle. “From Salou to the sky,” said Mayor Pere Granados, summing up in one sentence the feeling shared by everyone in the capital of the Costa Dorada, which this weekend is also the capital of aviation.
The air show continues this Sunday with an equally intense program and a distinguished guest: the Chief of the Air Staff (JEMA), who will travel to Salou to experience firsthand the closing of this historic edition of the Festa al Cel.