Torre del Mar Air Festival 2026: Eurofighter, A400M and more than 30 aircraft over the beach this weekend

For three days, anyone looking up from the beach in Torre del Mar is likely to see much more than seagulls.

The Torre del Mar International Air Festival 2026 returns this weekend for its eleventh edition with one of its most ambitious programmes to date.

The event will take place on Friday 4, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, culminating in a major free display over the Mediterranean featuring more than 33 aircraft, divided among 18 display teams or units.

There will be military jets, helicopters, parachutists, aerobatic pilots, gyrocopters, model aircraft and coordinated formations.

Among the names announced are some particularly popular with aviation fans: Eurofighter Typhoon, Airbus A400M, Patrulla Aspa, PAPEA parachute team, Formación Mirlo, Aerosparx, Camilo Benito and several aerial units from the Guardia Civil and National Police.

And this year, visitors will not have to wait until Sunday for the spectacle to begin.

On Saturday evening, the Sunset Air Show will return, offering the chance to watch aircraft perform over the coast as daylight fades into night.

When is the Torre del Mar Air Festival 2026?

The eleventh edition runs throughout the weekend:

• Friday 4 September: technical training sessions.
• Saturday 5 September: training, activities, model aircraft and Sunset Air Show.
• Sunday 6 September: main flying display.

The event is free, and the display can be watched from almost anywhere along Torre del Mar beach.

The organisers particularly recommend the Biblioplaya area for spectators who want a good view of crossing manoeuvres and aerial formations.

Sunday is expected to attract the largest crowds, as that is when the main programme takes place.

Almost four hours of flying displays on Sunday

The central day of the festival will be Sunday 6 September.

The organisers are working with an approximate display window of 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, during which the different performances will follow one another with very little interruption.

A total of 19 operational display blocks and almost four hours of flying are planned.

Exact timings for each participant depend on operational factors and may change, which is common at aviation events of this kind.

Wind, weather conditions, technical requirements and air traffic operations from the airports and bases used by participating aircraft can all affect the running order.

For that reason, anyone hoping to see a specific aircraft should arrive with plenty of time rather than planning to stay for only a few minutes.

The Eurofighter will once again be one of the main attractions

Few sounds identify an aircraft before it even comes into view quite like a military fighter approaching at high speed.

And this year, one of the biggest highlights will once again be the Eurofighter Typhoon of the Spanish Air and Space Force.

Its display is officially included in the 2026 line-up.

The Eurofighter belongs to a completely different category from many of the aerobatic aircraft taking part.

Its power, acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability usually make its passes some of the most spectacular moments for spectators on the beach.

It will also likely be one of the loudest aircraft of the weekend.

For that reason, families attending with young children should pay particular attention to one of the organisers’ recommendations: use earplugs or protective earmuffs during the loudest displays.

The Airbus A400M will show a very different kind of flying

At the opposite end of the scale in terms of size is another military aircraft included in the programme.

The Airbus A400M will once again take part in the Torre del Mar Air Festival.

It is a large military transport aircraft which, despite its size, is capable of performing manoeuvres that can be surprisingly impressive when viewed from the ground.

Having both a large transport aircraft and a high-performance fighter such as the Eurofighter in the same festival gives spectators the opportunity to see two very different sides of modern military aviation.

Both are included in the official participant list.

Formación Mirlo debuts with the new Pilatus PC-21

One of the main new features of the 2026 edition will be the appearance of Formación Mirlo.

The team will fly Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, used by the Spanish Air and Space Force for advanced pilot training.

Its participation has been highlighted by the festival organisers as one of the major debuts of this year’s programme.

Unlike a solo demonstration, much of the appeal of formation flying lies in precision.

Pilots must maintain exact spacing and position while executing turns and configuration changes that, from the beach, can make several aircraft appear to move as a single unit.

For regular festival visitors, it will also be a chance to see a relatively new aircraft on the Spanish display circuit.

Patrulla Aspa brings its helicopters to Torre del Mar

Fixed-wing aircraft will not have the sky to themselves.

The Patrulla Aspa of the Spanish Air and Space Force is also included in the 2026 programme.

Its speciality is demonstrating that helicopters can perform coordinated manoeuvres far more complex than those usually seen during normal operational flying.

The unit is based at Armilla Air Base in Granada, one of Spain’s main military helicopter training centres.

The relative proximity between Granada and the Axarquía also makes it easier for this type of unit to take part in a display supported by several aviation facilities across Andalucía.

Parachutists over the beach

The spectacle will not be limited to aircraft.

The PAPEA Aerobatic Parachute Team of the Spanish Air and Space Force is also included in the programme.

Parachutists from the Guardia Civil will take part as well.

These precision displays add another dimension to the festival.

Here, the attraction is not speed but watching jumpers control their descent, form shapes in the air and calculate their approach towards a very specific landing area.

The municipal beach-use plan even includes a designated area on the sand for parachute landings during the air show.

Guardia Civil and National Police aircraft will also take part

The festival also provides the chance to see aircraft that normally operate in policing, surveillance, rescue and security roles.

The announced participants include a Guardia Civil CN-235, a Dauphin AS365 from the same force and an EC-135 from the National Police.

These aircraft have very different functions from purely aerobatic teams.

Their presence gives the public a closer look at the work of aerial units used by Spain’s security services and highlights aircraft that are usually seen only during real operations.

Camilo Benito pushes solo aerobatics to the limit

Sport aviation will be represented, among others, by Camilo Benito.

The Marbella-born pilot appears in this year’s line-up and represents a very different side of the show.

In solo aerobatics, there is no formation to maintain and no military mission capability to demonstrate.

Everything depends on one pilot, a highly specialised aircraft and a sequence of manoeuvres combining rolls, climbs, dives and rapid changes of direction in a relatively small area of sky.

That contrast between huge military aircraft and small aerobatic machines is one of the reasons the festival can maintain such a varied programme over several hours.

ELA will showcase its gyrocopters

Aircraft manufactured in Andalucía will also have a place in the programme.

ELA Aviación is included in the official 2026 line-up with its gyrocopters.

These aircraft can initially resemble small helicopters in appearance, although they operate in a very different way.

Their participation introduces a category that is less familiar to the general public and also highlights Andalucía’s own specialist aviation industry.

Aerosparx returns for one of the most visual moments of the weekend

Another familiar name on the programme is Aerosparx.

The British team is particularly well known for combining formation flying with light and pyrotechnic effects.

That makes it especially suitable for one of Saturday’s headline events.

The Sunset Air Show will allow part of the display to take place in completely different lighting conditions from Sunday’s main programme.

As the Mediterranean darkens beneath the aircraft, illuminated trails become much more visible and transform the spectacle into something very different from a conventional daytime air show.

Saturday will be a festival within the festival

Saturday 5 September will not simply be a warm-up day.

Technical rehearsals will continue during daylight hours, but several additional activities are planned.

There will be a poster-signing session with pilots during the morning, approximately between 10:00-11:00 am and 1:00-2:00 pm, although organisers warn that these times may be adjusted.

The world of model aircraft will also have its own space along the promenade.

The Axarquía Model Aircraft Club will display its models in the Templete area from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Then, as evening approaches, one of the most anticipated moments will begin.

Sunset Air Show: aircraft at dusk and after dark

The Sunset Air Show is scheduled for around 8:00 pm on Saturday.

According to municipal planning, it will include five performances and approximately one hour and fifty minutes of flying, continuing until roughly 10:00 or 10:15 pm.

That will allow visitors to experience two completely different sides of the festival during the same weekend.

On Sunday, daylight dominates and every manoeuvre can be seen clearly.

On Saturday night, by contrast, lighting, atmosphere and visual effects become much more important.

For anyone hoping to avoid the biggest Sunday crowds, Saturday evening may also be a good opportunity to enjoy an important part of the event in a slightly less congested setting.

Friday and Saturday training sessions also attract aviation fans

Flights on Friday and part of Saturday have a different purpose.

They are technical training sessions, not scheduled public displays, so times can change or flights may even be cancelled without notice.

However, for aviation enthusiasts and especially photographers, they can still be very interesting.

There are generally fewer people on the beach, moving around is easier and spectators may get the chance to watch pilots prepare some of the manoeuvres that will later appear in the main display.

However, attending a training session does not guarantee that a particular aircraft will be flying.

Where is the best place to watch the Torre del Mar Air Festival?

One of the event’s biggest advantages is its location.

The enormous beach at Torre del Mar effectively acts as a natural grandstand facing the Mediterranean.

The organisers state that the show can be watched from anywhere along the beach, although they particularly recommend the Biblioplaya area for getting a good view of crossing manoeuvres and formations.

The festival’s control and command area is also located close to Biblioplaya.

Anyone hoping to find a comfortable spot should arrive well in advance.

The organisers refer to more than 300,000 spectators attending around the event, so arriving early can make a significant difference compared with trying to find space just as the first aircraft appear.

What to bring if you are going with children

The festival is designed as a family-friendly event and access to the beach is free.

However, there are a few precautions worth taking, particularly with younger children.

The most important is hearing protection.

Fighter jets and other aircraft can generate extremely high noise levels during certain parts of the display.

The organisers recommend earplugs or protective earmuffs for young children.

They also advise bringing water, wearing sunscreen and a hat, agreeing on a meeting point in case anyone gets separated and keeping a particularly close eye on children when the beach becomes very crowded.

Better to leave dogs at home

There is also a specific recommendation for anyone considering bringing a pet.

The organisers advise not taking animals to the festival.

Once again, the main reason is noise.

Sudden and extremely loud aircraft can cause considerable stress or fear in dogs and other animals, especially in an environment packed with thousands of people.

For pets, this is definitely not the most suitable plan of the weekend.

Arriving early will be almost as important as looking up

The expected crowds also make transport and parking an important part of planning the visit.

The organisers specifically recommend arriving well in advance to avoid traffic congestion.

This will be particularly important on Sunday.

With the main display beginning at around 11:30 am, trying to arrive just before the first performance could mean heavy traffic, difficulty finding parking and many parts of the beach already full.

A more comfortable option is to arrive earlier in the morning, choose a spot in good time and treat the festival as a full day by the sea.

From an experiment in 2016 to an event attracting more than 300,000 spectators

The history of the Torre del Mar Air Festival began in 2016.

What started as a new event on the Vélez-Málaga coastline has gradually grown into one of the major dates in the Axarquía calendar.

The organisers now put attendance at more than 300,000 spectators, a figure that helps explain the effect the weekend has on hotels, restaurants, shops and services in Torre del Mar.

Municipal officials have also indicated that tourism occupancy for the weekend is practically full.

The air show therefore helps extend tourist activity beyond the main August holiday peak.

A weekend when everyone on the beach will be looking up

Torre del Mar is used to people looking out towards the Mediterranean.

This weekend, the opposite will happen.

For three days, much of the crowd on the beach will be looking upwards.

Friday brings the first movements and training flights.

Saturday adds pilots, model aircraft and a sunset display continuing into the night.

And Sunday brings the main event: almost four hours of flying with fighter jets, helicopters, parachutists, aerobatic aircraft and some of the most impressive military machines currently seen at public events in Spain.

All of it without grandstands or tickets.

The beach will be the auditorium.

The sky will be the stage.

The full programme, participating aircraft, visitor recommendations and possible timetable updates can be found on the official Torre del Mar International Air Festival 2026 website.