The Maritime Captaincy prohibits sailing in Salou during the Festa al Cel

The Maritime Captaincy of Tarragona has issued a resolution, dated August 31, 2026, prohibiting maritime navigation and access by any person to an exclusion zone off the beaches of Salou during the celebration of the Festa al Cel 2026. The measure is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona on September 15, 2026 (reference CVE 2026-08353, pp. 1-4) and takes effect the day following its publication.

The Festa al Cel is an air festival considered one of the most important and oldest in Spain, and this year’s edition will take place on the beaches of Salou. The resolution, signed by the maritime captain José Manuel Robledano Esteban, is based on article 20.1 of Law 14/2014, of July 24, on Maritime Navigation, which allows the maritime Administration to condition, restrict, or prohibit navigation for reasons of maritime security and protection.

Exclusion zone and schedules

The maritime security device for the festival begins on September 19 and ends on September 20, and includes the training sessions on September 18, 2026. The exclusion zone is delimited by a polygon defined by five ETRS89-UTM31N coordinate points, and the prohibition applies during the following time slots:

• September 18: from 10:30 to 15:30 hours.
• September 19: from 17:30 to 23:00 hours.
• September 20: from 10:30 to 16:00 hours.

For the identification of the zone, 12 yellow perimeter buoys will be placed, of which buoys 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 will have light signaling.

A large-scale event

The 2026 edition anticipates the participation of more than 20 aerial teams and formations, both civilian and military, and a massive public attendance estimated at over 250,000 people. The forecast for attending vessels is around 80 units, a fact that justifies the temporary restriction of navigation in the area near the port of Salou.

Communication, sanctions, and appeals

The prohibition will be communicated to the State Security Forces and Corps and to all administrations and entities interested in ensuring its compliance, and will be disseminated through the nautical radio-warning system. Non-compliance with the prohibition is classified as a serious administrative offense under article 307.3.f) of the Recast Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Law (Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011), with a penalty provided for in article 312.2.c) of the same legal text of up to 120,000 euros.

The resolution, which does not exhaust administrative remedies, may be appealed by administrative appeal before the director general of the Merchant Marine within one month of its publication, in accordance with articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure.

The measure directly affects sailors, swimmers, and nautical operators on the Costa Daurada, who will have to plan their activities outside the restricted time slots. With an expected attendance of over 250,000 people and a three-day maritime security operation, the prohibition seeks to guarantee the safety of human life at sea and the protection of the marine environment during one of the State’s most relevant aerial events.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona, no. September 15, 2026, section I, pp. 1-4 (official reference: CVE 2026-08353).