How do the Valencian and Tarragona groups arrive at Sant Joan?

Valls and TarragonaSant Joan is synonymous with the start of summer, as the saying goes. It's a time for firecrackers and parties that go on until dawn, for coca and cava and, why not say it, also for great castells. Because yes, casteller-wise, the arrival of June 24th marks a turning point in the season. The calendar enters a new dimension and the groups begin to show their best cards. Valls and Tarragona will once again concentrate a large part of the attention of the casteller world in two events that, year after year, serve to gauge the state of form of the groups and begin to outline the great objectives of the summer.This year, however, the tempos have advanced. Before reaching Sant Joan, we have already seen several groups that have managed to build basic nine-story castles and, even, some premature incursions into the extra range. All this suggests that the main formations arrive at the end of June with more work done than in other seasons. Despite this, the festivals of Valls and Tarragona continue to maintain their specific weight within the calendar.The first great duel from Valls in Plaça del BlatThe Colla Vella and the Colla Joves will first meet on the night of June 23rd in Plaça del Blat with the traditional Completes performance, a day that preserves all the essence of old-style human towers and usually offers the first clues about the intentions of the two groups. Less than 24 hours later, the same venue will host the great Sant Joan performance, an event that year after year marks the start of the strong part of the human tower season.In Plaça del Blat, the quintessential stage for human tower rivalry, Colla Vella and Colla Joves arrive with important aspirations. The rosats have had a convincing start to the season and have progressively expanded their range of constructions. The work done with the basic nine-level towers allows them to start looking towards other objectives and face Sant Joan with various options open. The 5d9f continues to be one of the structures that generates the most excitement, but rehearsals also hint at the possibility of seeing other top-difficulty constructions such as the 7 of 9 with folre, the 4 of 9 with folre and agulla, or the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles.The situation of Joves is different, but equally promising. The reds have advanced with more caution during the first weeks of the course, consolidating pieces before making the leap to the big challenges. Now, however, the time has come to accelerate. The group from Gassó street is working with an eye on superior constructions and with the desire to present themselves at Sant Joan with everything. The 2 of 9 with folre and manilles and the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles appear as some of the most notable objectives.Tarragona's groups want to bring premieres for Sant JoanIn Tarragona, the festival also arrives loaded with attractions. The Colla Jove is the one that, at present, presents the most solid credentials. The lilacs have completed a very consistent start to the season and recently achieved the earliest magical triplet in their history. With the basic castles of nine fully consolidated and the pillar of 7 with folre already debuted, all eyes are now on the 2 of 9 with folre and manilles. If the rehearsals in the coming hours support it, those from Cós del Bou could become the first group of the year to debut this construction.

For their part, the Xiquets de Tarragona also arrive at Sant Joan with good prospects. The mattress makers have maintained an upward trend based on consistency. After debuting the 2d7, the next natural challenge is the high range of eight. Both the 5 of 8 and the 7 of 8 appear as feasible options for a group that seeks to continue growing without losing solidity. 

The Castellers de Sant Pere i Sant Pau face the event with a clear objective: to make a new qualitative leap. After consolidating the basic castles of eight and showing good performance with other important structures, the greens aspire to bring the 5 of 8 to the square.

Finally, the Xiquets del Serrallo continue to advance with a firm step. Those from the maritime neighborhood have reliably repeated several seven-story structures and are working to continue expanding their ceiling. Everything indicates that the 2 of 7 will again be one of their great bets, although the rehearsals in recent weeks also suggest more ambitious goals such as the 9 of 7 and the 5 of 7.

With this panorama, Sant Joan once again presents itself as the first major reference of the casteller season. Perhaps the season has advanced and many groups have shown more than usual at this time, but Valls and Tarragona continue to be two places capable of setting trends. And, if the forecasts are met, June 24 could leave some of the most outstanding images of this first part of the season.