Empuriabrava returns to the international skydiving spotlight with the 16-WAY EUROPEAN TROPHY Formation Skydiving competition.
From June 30 to July 3, Skydive Empuriabrava will host 8 international teams and 136 athletes from 18 nationalities competing in the spectacular and demanding 16-way discipline.
A history linked to the world elite: Skydive Empuriabrava, operating since 1985, has established itself as one of the world’s leading and most important skydiving centres. In 2013, it reached the historic milestone of two million jumps. Throughout its history, it has hosted major international events such as the 8th World Formation Skydiving Championships (1989), the 4th World Freestyle and Skysurfing Championships (1993), as well as numerous World Cups and multiple European and World Records across various disciplines.
EMPURIABRAVA, June 2026. – This year, from June 30 to July 3, Empuriabrava will once again become a focal point of international skydiving with the staging of the 16-way Formation Skydiving competition as part of the 16-WAY EUROPEAN TROPHY event. This highly demanding discipline brings together top-level specialists from around the world and once again highlights the organisational, technical and sporting capabilities of Skydive Empuriabrava.
This event marks the return of a spectacular competitive discipline that was previously held at the centre. It is worth noting that between 2009 and 2012, Skydive Empuriabrava organised this international competition under the name “Empuriabrava 16-way Trophy”, setting a benchmark of excellence in this category.
The “FriendsMeet” circuit arrives on the Costa Brava as part of the 16-WAY EUROPEAN TROPHY project.
This year’s edition is part of the “FriendsMeet” circuit, an event that originated in Saint Petersburg (Russia) in 2015. The original concept combines a high-level skydiving competition with several days of tourism and exploration of the host destination. After being hosted in Moscow (2016), Vienna (2017), Paris (2018), Ravenna (2019), Berlin (2022), Fano (2023), Hoogeveen (2024) and Paris (2025), “FriendsMeet” has chosen Empuriabrava as the venue for its 2026 edition.
KEY FIGURES FOR THE 2026 EDITION IN EMPURIABRAVA
Participants: 8 international teams bringing together a total of 136 athletes:
| Germany Ukraine France Belgium Ireland United Kingdom Netherlands Switzerland Austria | Spain Italy Norway Czech Republic Poland Greece Hungary Sweden Croatia |
The major sporting and logistical challenge of 16-way Formation Skydiving
The 16-way Formation Skydiving discipline is one of the most technically demanding and visually spectacular disciplines in sport skydiving. Each team consists of sixteen skydivers and one camera flyer, whose role is to record the sequences that are later evaluated by the judges. The discipline requires an exceptionally high level of precision, coordination and synchronization, both during the aircraft exit and throughout the execution of the formations in freefall.
In addition to this technical complexity in the air, there is a significant logistical challenge on the ground, as seventeen specialists per team must be coordinated throughout both training sessions and the competition itself. For this reason, 16-way events represent a major organisational challenge and are less frequently seen on the international competition calendar.
Sporting impact, tourism and future outlook
The return of this type of competition is particularly significant for Empuriabrava. On the one hand, it brings back a discipline that has historically been closely linked to the dropzone. On the other, it further strengthens Empuriabrava’s position as an ideal venue for major international events, thanks to the quality of its facilities, its aerial resources and its extensive experience, with more than 40 years of activity and nearly 3 million jumps completed.
From a tourism and economic perspective, the event is expected to have a significant direct impact. The presence of hundreds of international participants will generate substantial activity in sectors such as accommodation, hospitality and local services, boosting the local economy while showcasing the unique appeal of skydiving over the Bay of Roses.
With the momentum and expected success of this event, Skydive Empuriabrava further strengthens its international profile and keeps the door open to its firm ambition of hosting another World Skydiving Championship in the coming years, reviving the spirit of the major international milestones that have shaped the history of the dropzone.
With the support of:
