Stratospheric exhibition of the Xiquets de Valls and first gamma extra of the Jove de Tarragona

The Plaça del Blat in Valls has something that escapes any rational explanation. Call it magic, tradition, or simply the effect of bringing together the two groups of Xiquets de Valls at the kilometer zero of the casteller phenomenon. Whatever it is, Sant Joan of 2026 is already part of history. The extreme heat has not prevented the square from once again becoming the scene of one of those days that, over the years, will be remembered.

Completes already announced a historic Sant Joan

The vigil of Sant Joan had already presented itself as a memorable day. The early start proved to be a success and allowed for a frenetic pace and an impressive display of potential. La Colla Vella opened the performance with a solid 3d9f before exhibiting the 4d9fp and the 9d8, two extra-level structures that already hinted at what was to come. The 'rosats' finished the day with the pd7f, which also suggested much more ambitious goals. La Joves, for their part, completed the 'carro gros', the 3d9f, and an impeccable 2d8f that heralded bigger challenges for the next day. Francesc Inglès's team closed the day with a very hard-fought pd6, but defended with skill.

Plaça del Blat experiences a historic day

La Joves opened Sant Joan with a textbook 3d9f, the fourth of the season. A perfect castle, without any complications, almost a necessary formality before facing the day's great challenge. Beside them, La Vella responded with an epic 5d9f. The rosats came from seeing it only loaded in Vendrell and, after a dismantled base, they finally found the formula to complete it. It was a titanic struggle, especially on the third and fourth floors.

The best was yet to come. And it is that the second round has elevated the festival to another dimension. First, La Joves. After dismantling a base, the vermells attacked the 4d9sf. The conviction was there from the first moment. Also extreme serenity and confidence. The result was a true exhibition, and with it, the earliest total castle in the history of castles was unloaded in the Plaça del Blat.

The response from La Vella, however, was not long in coming. Also after a dismantled base, the rosats have replicated with another impeccable 4d9sf. It is the fourth gamma extra unloaded by the group in less than twenty-four hours and the seventh consecutive 4d9sf unloaded since the incident of the mythical performance at Sant Fèlix in 2024. Fast, safe, and dominated from start to finish. The Plaça del Blat has erupted at a duel that is already part of the great pages of its history.

With the festival completely unleashed, the two teams still had more ammunition. La Joves has opted for the first 2d9fm of the year. The castle demanded a heroic defense. With the dosos in place, the structure became complicated and the manilles suffered greatly. The battle was constant until the end, but the reds managed to resist to complete an extraordinary performance that was crowned with a pd6 of enormous merit. La Vella, far from settling, has still added a new gamma extra to its repertoire. The 7d9f, after a dismantled foot, ended up unloaded for the third time in the history of the team. Another castle of maximum demand that shows that at Portal Nou there are plenty of cards to choose from. Finally, the pink ones put the icing on the cake with the first pd8fm of the season, a castle that they had only unloaded for Sant Joan once, in 2023. With this, one of the most complete and ambitious performances ever remembered in Plaça del Blat has been signed off.

A great Sant Joan also in Tarragona

As is customary every June 24, the four groups from the city have met in the Plaça de la Font to celebrate the Sant Joan festival, one of the most emblematic events in the Tarragona human tower calendar. On an afternoon marked by high temperatures, the groups have brought some of the season's first major challenges to the square.

The Castellers de Sant Pere i Sant Pau have been in charge of opening the square. The starting tower was the 3d8, which they managed to execute without any difficulty. In the second round, they completed a very well-resolved 2d7, with very fast and very fine children. Those from the cooperative neighborhood concluded the performance by unloading a 4d8, which confirms, once again, the solidity shown by the group in this start to the season.

Next to them, the Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona has chosen the 3d9f as their starting castel. A castel that the purples already master, as with today's they have already unloaded four this season. In the second round came the main objective of the day: the 2d9fm. After a dismantled base, those from Cós del Bou have thrown it up. It was a hard-fought two, with some moments of nerves, but experience and the good work done last season have made it possible to control them and unload it. In this way, Gina Fort's team has achieved the first extra gamma of the season and the earliest in their history. In the third round, the purples could not unload the 4d9f and recovered with the big cart (4d8). They closed the festival with a new espadat of 7.

For their part, the Xiquets de Tarragona have started the performance with a 3d8, marked, however, by some nerves. In the second round and after dismantling two bases, Roger Budesca's team unloaded the first 7d8 of the season. A seven that presented very good measurements and at no time did it seem like it was the first. The mattress makers completed the performance with the 4d8.

Finally, the Xiquets del Serrallo have debuted with a dismantled attempt of 9d7. The structure presented good dimensions and worked calmly, but the children did not quite see it clearly. In fact, one of the enxanetes even reached the top of the pom before deciding to dismantle the castle. In the second round, they have competently unloaded the 5d7, followed by a well-executed 2d7. They concluded the performance with a 4d7.