Facts checked 16 September 2026. We will update this page once the WSL publishes the official 2026/27 window.
Quick answer
The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge has no fixed date. The World Surf League opens a waiting period each winter, watches every North Atlantic storm, and calls the event with 72 hours' notice at most. For 2026/27 the window is expected to run from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, in line with recent seasons, but the WSL had not published it when we checked. Last season the window opened on 1 November.
If you want to see it, do not book a fixed date. Watch the swell forecast, subscribe to the alerts, and be ready to move within a day. From Lisbon that is a 1h30 drive. If you are staying in Nazaré, it is a walk up the hill.
What is known about the 2026/27 season
Three things are settled and one is not.
The season is settled. Praia do Norte produces giant waves from roughly October to March, with the heaviest storms in December, January and February. Nazarewaves, the local forecast site, gives visitors the same October to March window. Our month-by-month guide to the big wave season covers what each of those months is like.
The format is settled. One day, tow-in, meaning surfers are pulled into the wave by jet ski. Teams of two, alternating riding and driving, with each surfer scored on their best waves. It is built as a one-day event. In December 2025, when time ran out, the WSL ended it after Round 1 rather than carry on the next day.
The alert system is settled, and it is the part visitors most need to understand. That is the next section.
What is not settled is the window. The last three opened in early November (6 November 2023, 1 November 2024 and 1 November 2025) and closed on 31 March. Nothing suggests a change, but the WSL publishes it when it publishes it. Expect the official launch in the first days of November at worldsurfleague.com.
One more open question. Nazarewaves notes that 2026/27 could bring more than one event, something some surfers have said they want. Two events in one winter last happened in 2021/22. Nothing is confirmed.
How the call works
The WSL wants consistent wave faces of 25 feet, about 8 metres, plus wind and tide it is willing to send jet skis out in. When a storm starts tracking the right way, it issues alerts in two steps.
|
Alert
|
What it means
|
Notice
|
|---|---|---|
| Big Wave Yellow Alert | The event may run. Surfers and safety crews get ready. | Up to 72 hours |
| Big Wave Green Alert | The event is on. | Usually the day before, sometimes 2 to 3 days |
Yellow does not always turn green, because storms wobble and the wind shifts. Green is the one to act on. It usually comes the day before, sometimes two or three days ahead, and the first call on the day is normally around 9:00.
The practical consequence: a yellow alert is the moment to sort your travel. By the time green arrives, you should already know where you are parking.
When the event has actually run
The dates below are the best argument against planning a "big wave weekend" months in advance.
|
Season
|
Held on
|
Note
|
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 13 December 2021 and 10 February 2022 | Two events in one winter |
| 2022/23 | Not held | No swell met the bar |
| 2023/24 | 22 January 2024 | |
| 2024/25 | 18 February 2025 | |
| 2025/26 | 13 December 2025 | Stopped after Round 1 |
| 2026/27 | Window expected 1 Nov 2026 to 31 Mar 2027 | Date to be called |
Mid-December to mid-February, with one blank winter in the middle. Five seasons, five days of competition. That is the entire calendar, and it tells you how little the calendar helps.
What happened in December 2025
Worth knowing, because it shows how fragile a one-day contest is.
The green alert went out for Saturday 13 December 2025 on one of the biggest, cleanest swells the canyon has delivered for a contest, with faces the WSL put at 45 to 60 feet, about 14 to 18 metres. Then fog sat on the beach and held up the start. Then a power failure on the event side took out communications, and with the one-day window running out the WSL decided it could not continue safely. The contest was stopped after Round 1 and the results taken from that round. Lucas Chianca and Justine Dupont won the individual awards, and Nic von Rupp with Clément Roseyro took best team for the second event running.
The surfing that did happen was some of the best the event has produced. The frustration is that there was an afternoon of it left in the water.
What a giant day needs
Not every winter storm makes Nazaré huge. A giant day needs three things at once, and a forecast only counts if all three line up.
A long-period groundswell. Fourteen seconds or more between waves is the number to look for. Thirteen is the minimum worth watching.
Swell from the west or north-west, so the canyon can focus it onto Praia do Norte.
Light or offshore wind, ideally with some north in it, to hold the wave face up.
Offshore wave height above 3 metres is the rough entry ticket. Take any one of the three away and a scary-looking chart produces an ordinary, messy day. That is why so many people drive up on a big number and go home having seen nothing special.
Our big wave season guide walks through swell height, period, direction, wind and tide one at a time if you want the full explanation.
How to time a visit
Forecasts start to mean something about a week out. They become reliable about three days out. The morning itself is decided by wind, so check a webcam before you leave the house. The chart from the night before is not enough.
From Lisbon that timing is comfortable. Nazaré is about 1h30 by car on the A8 and then the IC9, and Rede Expressos and FlixBus buses take about 1h30 to 2h. If you are flying in from further away, a single day on the calendar is a gamble, and only a longer stay in the region really improves your odds. From Lisbon you do not need that. You need a flexible morning and a car, or an early bus. Our guide to getting around Nazaré without a car has the bus detail.
If you are already staying in Nazaré, the whole problem reduces to setting an alarm.
Where to look:
nazarewaves.com has webcams, a forecast page and an email alert list that also tells you when the competition is called.
Surfline and Windy are the standard forecast tools. Windguru is the one a lot of locals keep open for Praia do Norte.
On alert days the WSL app and the Nazaré surf accounts on Instagram move fastest.
Where to watch, and what it costs
Nothing. Watching is free from the Sítio headland, the clifftop paths around the lighthouse, and the ground outside the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo. A dirt road also runs down from Sítio to the sand at Praia do Norte. On a big day we do not recommend it. The view from above is safer and gives you a better sense of scale.
Entry to the fort costs 3 euros, and under-10s go free. Opening hours change with the season, so check them on Find Out Nazaré before you go. On competition days the fort is normally taken over by the event and closed to the public, so do not plan around getting inside. The headland outside has the same view without the ticket.
Practical notes for a competition day
Our parking guide covers big-wave days street by street. The short version: if you can arrive before 8:00, Sítio may still have space. After 10:00 stop hunting, use the municipal stadium area, and walk. Expect over a kilometre on foot on a competition morning, and expect police controls on the approach to Sítio.
Bring:
Non-slip shoes. The hillside is dirt, rough, and slippery after rain.
Layers, rain protection, and something waterproof to sit on. You may be there for hours and the ground is mud.
Water and food. The nearest restaurants are over 500 metres away and full.
An empty bladder. Toilets are few and the queues are long.
Two safety points, and we mean them:
Stay back from the cliff edge. The fenced sections are fenced for a reason, and further along the paths there are no fences at all. Wind gusts on the headland can knock you off balance.
Stay off the sand at Praia do Norte when the swell is big. Waves can surge far up the beach without warning, and people have been swept off the sand and drowned here.
Can you combine it with a ride?
On an ordinary swell day, yes, and it is one of our favourite winter rides. The Praia do Norte big waves e-bike tour links the headland, the beach access and the coast north of it in about two hours.
On a competition day, no. Sítio is too crowded to move a bike through and the roads are controlled. Watch the contest on foot. Ride the next day, when the swell is often still running and most of the crowd has gone home.
What to check and when
|
What
|
Where
|
When
|
|---|---|---|
| Official 2026/27 window | worldsurfleague.com | Expected early November |
| Yellow and green alerts | WSL app, nazarewaves.com email alerts | Yellow up to 72 hours before, green usually the day before |
| Swell forecast | Surfline, Windy, Windguru | Watch from 7 days out, trust from 3 |
| Morning conditions | nazarewaves.com webcams | Before you leave |
| Fort opening hours | findoutnazare.pt | Before you go |
| Parking and road controls | Our parking guide, local police notices | The morning of |
Frequently asked questions
When is the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge 2026/27?
There is no fixed date. The waiting period is expected to run from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, and the WSL calls the event inside that window when a big enough swell lines up with the right wind. Past editions have run between mid-December and mid-February.
How much notice do you get?
A yellow alert can come up to 72 hours before. The green alert, which confirms the event, usually comes the day before and sometimes two or three days ahead. Follow the nazarewaves.com email alerts and the WSL app to get both.
Is the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge free to watch?
Yes. The headland at Sítio and the paths around the lighthouse are free. The fort charges 3 euros on normal days, with under-10s free, but is usually closed to the public during the competition.
Can I see giant waves without the competition?
Yes, and most people do. The competition needs one specific day. Big and giant swells hit Praia do Norte several times a winter, with surfers towing in whenever conditions allow. The same forecast rules apply.
Could there be two events this winter?
Possibly. It happened in 2021/22, and nazarewaves.com notes that some surfers would like more than one event. Nothing has been announced.
What if I only have one fixed weekend?
Come anyway, pick a weekend between late November and February, and treat giant waves as a bonus. The cliffs, the town and the coast are worth the trip on a flat day. Our best time to visit guide helps with picking the month.
The short version
The window will very likely open in early November and close on 31 March. The event runs on one day, called a few days ahead at most. Watch the swell forecast, not the weather, subscribe to the alerts, and keep a morning free. Arrive before 8:00, park low and walk, dress for mud and wind, and stay off the sand when it is big. If you miss the contest, the waves that made it possible will often still be there the next morning.
