The best Casteller start of the last ten years

CataloniaThe 2026 casteller season has already kicked off with a momentum that hasn't been seen in a long time. For weeks, rehearsal spaces have been buzzing with activity and that typical early-season enthusiasm: new faces, reunions, shirts ready, and the shared feeling that this could be a special year. And it's no coincidence. As happens every even year, the calendar is marked by the Concurs de Castells, the major biennial event that ends up shaping the goals, rhythms, and strategies of all the teams.

The first performances have already taken place, but within the casteller world, that unwritten maxim remains: it's not until after Sant Jordi that the teams truly start to "get in tune." This year, however, it seems the season has started to pick up the pace ahead of time.

A memorable season start

The data leaves no room for doubt. The start of this season is the best in the last ten years and even surpasses the records of the mid-last decade, considered the true golden age. The balance confirms this trend: in 2026, nine constructions of the high range of 8 have already been completed, five more than in the same period of the last season.

In parallel, basic eight-tower constructions are also being repeated frequently. In this regard, the 4de8 is the most repeated construction in the squares this year: 49 have been unloaded, with two more remaining loaded. In contrast, last season, in the same period, 43 had been unloaded.

Waiting for the 9-tower constructions

One of the big questions at the start of this season is the arrival of the first 9-story castles. Historically, constructions of this range have only been seen five times before the month of May (not taking into account exceptional years like those of the Decennials). For now, in 2026 none have been registered yet, but the current pace suggests they might not be long in coming.

Contest Year: pressure and opportunity

The Castells Contest reappears as the main objective of the season. Let's remember that the previous edition left an intense fight until the end, in which the Castellers de Vilafranca prevailed in a head-to-head with the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls. It was a hard-fought and high-level edition, which already set the tone for an increasingly demanding Castells Contest.

This year, and while waiting to see how the season progresses, everything indicates that the landscape will once again be just as open. The collas have taken a generalized step forward and rehearsals of highly difficult structures are already being seen, with ambitious objectives that, in many cases, equal or even surpass those of last season. Furthermore, the renewal in several technical teams has brought fresh air and new dynamics that are also noticeable at the start of this term.

Renewed enthusiasm for an intense year

With these figures and movements, 2026 is shaping up to be an intense, demanding, and exciting season. The groups have started strong, but the true thermometer will arrive in the coming weeks, when the calendar fills with important days and the level of demand increases.