The best casteller start of the last ten years

CataloniaThe 2026 human tower season has already kicked off with a momentum not seen in a long time. For weeks now, rehearsal spaces have been buzzing with activity and that typical early-season excitement: 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 conditioning the objectives, rhythms, and strategies of all the human tower groups.

The first performances have already taken place, but within the human tower world, that unwritten maxim remains: it's not until after Sant Jordi that the groups really start to "get in tune." This year, however, it seems the season has begun to accelerate the pace ahead of schedule.

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 from the middle of the last decade, considered the true golden age. The balance confirms this trend: in 2026, nine high-end 8-tower constructions have already been completed, five more than in the same period last season.

In parallel, basic eight-tower constructions are also being repeated a lot. In this regard, the 4of8 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.

The first 9-tower constructions have arrived

One of the great questions of this season was when the first 9-castles would arrive. Historically, only on five occasions had constructions of this range been seen before May (not taking into account exceptional years like those of the Decennals). But this year the wait has been short: this very weekend the first ones have already arrived. Los Castellers de Vilafranca have unloaded the 3de9 with folre, while La Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls has completed the 4de9 with folre, thus confirming the great form of the two collas and the high level with which the season begins.

Competition 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 waiting to see how the season evolves, everything indicates that the panorama will be just as open again. 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 the past season. Furthermore, the renewal in various technical teams has brought fresh air and new dynamics that are also noticeable at the start of this course.

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 real thermometer will arrive in the coming weeks, when the calendar fills with important days and the level of demand increases.