VallsValls will once again become the epicenter of the human tower (casteller) world. From October 16th to 25th, the Santa Úrsula Fair will fill the city with popular culture, music, heritage, fire, and activities, but it will be on Sunday when all focus will once again point to a single place: the Plaça del Blat. There, the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls and the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls will star in a new battle, with the precedent of one of the most extraordinary and tumultuous Santa Úrsula festivals of recent years.
The last Santa Úrsula left two images that are already part of the recent history of human towers. On one hand, the Colla Vella unloaded the 4 de 10 amb folre i manilles, a human tower they had not completed for eight years and which once again highlighted the 'rosats' (pink-shirted group) ability to face the most extreme structures. On the other hand, the Colla Joves reached the top of the 2 de 9 sense manilles, a human tower that had only been loaded three times before –all in Vilafranca– and which made the 'vermells' (red-shirted group) the second group in history capable of crowning it.
But that day will also be remembered for a rivalry taken to the limit, for four and a half hours of performance, for the rain that conditioned the technical decisions, and for a tension that reached the point of requiring the intervention of the local police. Santa Úrsula 2025 was an extraordinary demonstration of human tower power, and one year later, the Plaça del Blat will reset the counter to zero.
La Vella, with an extraordinary range
The Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls arrives at the event after a season that has once again demonstrated its potential to tackle the highest difficulty human towers. The 'rosats' have exhibited an extraordinary range throughout the year and, except for some performances where things did not quite go as they wanted, such as the one in La Bisbal del Penedès, they have maintained a very high standard and a consistency that allows them to face Santa Úrsula with ambition.
One of the great examples is the 4 of 9 without 'folre' (base), which the Vella has been successfully completing with exceptional solvency and which is already one of its most reliable structures. But the ceiling for the 'rosats' has gone much further. At the Castells Competition, they finished in second position after loading, in the third round, the 3 of 9 without 'folre', the second in their history and one of the most difficult structures ever seen in a square. They also loaded the 4 of 10 with 'folre' and 'manilles'.
The Vella's repertoire this year has been completed with first-rate structures such as the 4 of 9 with 'folre' and pillar, the pillar of 8 with 'folre' and 'manilles', the 5 of 9 with 'folre', and the 7 of 9 with 'folre'. A range of maximums that opens up many possibilities for Sunday.
La Joves, eager to get rid of the thorn from the Competition
The Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls arrives at Santa Úrsula eager to get over the disappointment of the Concurs de Castells, as they did not quite achieve the goals they had set. Despite loading the 3 of 10 with folre and manilles for the second time in their history, the result left a bittersweet aftertaste.
The reds, however, have plenty of arguments to look towards Santa Úrsula with ambition. Throughout the season, they have shown a remarkable mastery of the 4 of 9 without folre and have brought to the square maximum difficulty constructions such as the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles and the 2 of 9 with folre and manilles. Furthermore, at Sant Fèlix, they loaded the 2 of 8 without folre.
With the Plaça del Blat as the setting and the rivalry with the Vella as a backdrop, the Joves now have a new opportunity to turn the frustration of the Concurs into a stimulus. Santa Úrsula is the day that everyone wants to win in Valls, and the reds arrive there with the will to take a step forward, vindicate their season, and demonstrate that they have much more to say.
Much more than a human tower day
Santa Úrsula arrives this year with a special look at the human tower heritage. The 75th anniversary of the sculpture El Casteller, by Josep Busquets i Òdena, will be one of the symbols of this edition. Created in 1951 for the Decennial Festivals of the Mare de Déu de la Candela, the piece has become one of the icons of Valls. On Friday the 23rd, the leaders of the Vella and Joves groups will perform the sashing, accompanied by the Bufalodre bagpipers.
The Fair's program also incorporates a reflection on the present and future of human towers. The 14th Human Tower Symposium of Catalonia will address issues such as the economy, innovation, technical evolution, team leadership, and communication. The programming will be completed with heritage and history proposals, such as the day dedicated to the relationship between Antoni Gaudí and the Xiquets de Valls, and with a popular offer that will fill the city with giants, fire runs, music, and family activities.
