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

Sant Joan is synonymous with the start of summer, as the saying goes. It's a time for fireworks and parties that last until dawn, for coca and cava and, why not say it, also for great human towers. Because yes, speaking of human towers, 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 good part of the attention of the human tower 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 the basic nine-story castles and, even, some premature incursions into the extra range. All this suggests that the main formations will 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 Valls duel in the Plaça del Blat

La Colla Vella and La 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 the old-style human towers and usually offers the first clues about the intentions of both 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 broadened 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 several options open. The 5d9f continues to be one of the structures that generates the most anticipation, but rehearsals also hint at the possibility of seeing other top-difficulty constructions such as the 7d9f, the 4d9fp, or the pd8fm.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 will to present themselves at Sant Joan with everything. The 2d9fm and the pd8fm appear as some of the most outstanding objectives.Tarragona's groups want to bring premieres for Saint John

In Tarragona, the festival also arrives loaded with attractions. The Colla Jove is the one that currently 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 pd7f already debuted, all eyes are now on the 2d9fm. 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 5d8 and the 7d8 appear as feasible options for a group looking 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 5d8 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 points to the 2d7 being one of their great bets again, although the rehearsals in recent weeks also hint at more ambitious goals such as the 9d7 and the 5d7.

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.