Stratospheric exhibition of the Xiquets de Valls and first extra gamma 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 zero kilometer 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 eve of Sant Joan had already presented itself as a candidate for 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-gamma structures that already hinted at what was to come. The rosats (pink ones) finished the day with the pd7f, which also hinted at much more ambitious goals. La Joves, for their part, completed the large tower, the 3d9f, and an impeccable 2d8f that announced bigger challenges for the next day. Francesc Inglès's team closed the day with a very hard-fought pd6, but defended with skill.

The 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 complication, almost a necessary formality before facing the day's great challenge. Beside them, La Vella responded with an epic 5d9f. The pink-clad castellers had seen it only loaded in Vendrell and, after a dismantled foot, 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 elevated the festival to another dimension. First, La Joves. After dismantling a foot, the red-clad castellers attacked the 4d9sf. The conviction was there from the first moment. Also extreme serenity and confidence. The result was a genuine exhibition, and with it the earliest total castle in the history of castells was unloaded in Plaça del Blat.

The Vella's response, however, was not long in coming. Also after a dismantled base, the rosats replied with another impeccable 4d9sf. It was 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 of Sant Fèlix in 2024. Fast, safe, and dominated from start to finish. The Plaça del Blat erupted before a duel that is already part of the great pages of its history.

With the day completely unleashed, the two groups still had more ammunition. La Joves 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 vermells knew how to resist to complete an extraordinary performance that was crowned with an enormously meritorious pd6. La Vella, far from settling, added another gamma extra to their repertoire. The 7d9f, after a dismantled base, ended up unloaded for the third time in the group's history. Another castle of maximum demand that showed that at Portal Nou there are plenty of cromos to choose from. Finally, the rosats put the cherry on top with the first pd8fm of the season, a castle they had only unloaded once on Sant Joan, in 2023. With this, one of the most complete and ambitious performances ever remembered in Plaça del Blat had just been sealed.

A great Sant Joan in Tarragona too

As is customary every June 24th, the four teams from the city have met at Plaça de la Font to celebrate Sant Joan's Day, one of the most emblematic dates in the Tarragona casteller calendar. On an afternoon marked by intense heat, the teams brought some of the season's first major challenges to the square.

The Castellers de Sant Pere i Sant Pau opened the square with a 3d8 executed without any difficulty. In the second round, they completed a very well-resolved 2d7, with very fast children. They closed the performance by unloading a 4d8 which confirms, once again, the solidity shown by the team at the start of this season.

La Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona opened the round with the 3d9f, the fourth of the season. In the second round came the day's main objective: the 2d9fm. After a base dismantled to fine-tune sizes, the team faced the structure with nerves, but managed to unload the first extra-level tower of the season and the earliest in their history. In the third round, the lilacs could not unload the 4d9f and recovered with the big tower (4d8). They closed the day with a new espadat of 7.

Els Xiquets de Tarragona began the performance with a marked 3d8, albeit with some nerves. In the second round and after dismantling two bases, Roger Budesca's team unloaded the first 7d8 of the season. The team completed the performance with a well-controlled 4d8.

For their part, Xiquets del Serrallo opened with a dismantled attempt of 9d7. The structure presented good sizes and was working calmly, but the children did not see it clearly. In fact, one of the enxanetes reached the top of the pom before it was decided to dismantle the tower. In the second round, they confidently unloaded the 5d7, followed by a well-executed 2d7. They concluded the performance with a 4d7.