Costa del Sol air show draws the crowds despite the cloud and rain, in photos and video

The grey skies and light rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the thousands of people who descended on Torre del Mar on Sunday 7 September to be part of the eastern Costa del Sol town’s tenth international airshow.

Anyone in the town over the weekend will have seen, or at least heard, the various teams practicing throughout Friday and Saturday, especially when the familiar sound of the Eurofighter rumbled through the skies.

The main event however took place from 11.30am until 3.30pm on Sunday, although those keen to grab the best spots were there well before 9am, with a steady stream of spectators arriving throughout the morning, armed with chairs, parasols, portable fridges and in some cases, tables. Beach bars were packed and few sunbeds were available for those who had not reserved beforehand.

At 11.30am the loudspeakers were at fever pitch as the air show officially opened with a demonstration by the Grescan canine unit demonstrating their rescue skills in the sea. This was followed at 11.50 by the Real Aeroclub de Sevilla ‘Patrulla Gorrión’, signalling the first airborne display of the show.

Although parasols acted more as umbrellas when the rain didn’t quite manage to hold off, the message came through that all teams would still participate and the show would go on, as planned, despite the cloud and adverse weather conditions.

The National Police and Guardia Civil got a round of applause as they passed along the crowds, in helicopters, planes and by boat, there were parachutists and then it was the turn of one of the most popular and regular participants in the annual event: Juan Velarde in his recognisable Edge 540 plane. Valverde once again performed daredevil spins and loop-the-loops before plunging his plane into freefall and shooting back into the air at hair-raising speed.

The UK’s Team Raven swooped in next, returning for a second year after their popularity in the 2024 festival, performing stunning aerobatics in their formation Vans RV8 planes.

As the 10th anniversary festival drew to a close the Eurofighter sped along the Axarquía skies, providing not only mindboggling stunts high up the air, but also proving to be by far the noisiest part of the demonstration. Finally, the graceful Patrulla Aspa helicopters put the finishing touch on this year’s festival with dance-like moves. As the rain started again, visitors made their way home but despite the far from ideal weather conditions, the tenth Torre del Mar International Air Show once again managed to draw the crowds.