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.

Sant Joan is synonymous with the start of summer, as the saying goes. It's a time for firecrackers and parties that go on until dawn, for coca and cava and, why not say it, also for great castells. Because yes, casteller-wise, the arrival of June 24th marks a turning point in the season. The calendar enters a new dimension and the groups begin to show their best cards. Valls and Tarragona will once again concentrate a large part of the attention of the casteller world in two events that, year after year, serve to gauge the state of form of the groups and begin to outline the great objectives of the summer.This year, however, the tempos have advanced. Before reaching Sant Joan, we have already seen several groups that have managed to build basic nine-story castles and, even, some premature incursions into the extra range. All this suggests that the main formations arrive at the end of June with more work done than in other seasons. Despite this, the festivals of Valls and Tarragona continue to maintain their specific weight within the calendar.The first great duel from Valls in Plaça del BlatThe Colla Vella and the Colla Joves will first meet on the night of June 23rd in Plaça del Blat with the traditional Completes performance, a day that preserves all the essence of old-style human towers and usually offers the first clues about the intentions of the two groups. Less than 24 hours later, the same venue will host the great Sant Joan performance, an event that year after year marks the start of the strong part of the human tower season.In Plaça del Blat, the quintessential stage for human tower rivalry, Colla Vella and Colla Joves arrive with important aspirations. The rosats have had a convincing start to the season and have progressively expanded their range of constructions. The work done with the basic nine-level towers allows them to start looking towards other objectives and face Sant Joan with various options open. The 5d9f continues to be one of the structures that generates the most excitement, but rehearsals also hint at the possibility of seeing other top-difficulty constructions such as the 7 of 9 with folre, the 4 of 9 with folre and agulla, or the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles.The situation of Joves is different, but equally promising. The reds have advanced with more caution during the first weeks of the course, consolidating pieces before making the leap to the big challenges. Now, however, the time has come to accelerate. The group from Gassó street is working with an eye on superior constructions and with the desire to present themselves at Sant Joan with everything. The 2 of 9 with folre and manilles and the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles appear as some of the most notable objectives.Tarragona's groups want to bring premieres for Sant JoanIn Tarragona, the festival also arrives loaded with attractions. The Colla Jove is the one that, at present, presents the most solid credentials. The lilacs have completed a very consistent start to the season and recently achieved the earliest magical triplet in their history. With the basic castles of nine fully consolidated and the pillar of 7 with folre already debuted, all eyes are now on the 2 of 9 with folre and manilles. If the rehearsals in the coming hours support it, those from Cós del Bou could become the first group of the year to debut this construction.

Quiet weekend on the casteller calendar before Sant Joan, although with solid performances and some notable movement.

Pregnancy and motherhood represent an inevitable pause for castellers, but the real challenge often comes later. Regaining physical fitness, reorganizing family schedules, managing breastfeeding, or overcoming the feeling of missing important moments of childhood are, like in any job, some of the obstacles that appear on the way back to the square. A reality shared by many women in the casteller world and which, often, goes unnoticed behind great collective achievements.

For weeks now, the casteller world has been breathing a clear feeling: the teams have started the season at a very high level. This Sunday, in El Vendrell, this intuition has finally been confirmed with facts. The Diada de les Colles Campiones del Concurs de Castells has been the definitive proof that we are facing one of the best season starts in recent years, with records that recall, and in some cases surpass, those of 2016. And most significantly: on June 7th alone, the first gamma extra unloaded of the season have already been seen.

The forecasts are coming true and May is bidding farewell with a new set of nine-story towers. The Castellers de Sants unload the first 3d9f of the season at the Pla de la Seu festival in Barcelona and become the fifth group to reach this category this 2026. The borinots complete their best performance of the course with the tower of 8 with folre and the 4d8, in a day that also leaves notable achievements for the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls, the Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona and the Colla Castellera de Sant Pere i Sant Pau.

Casteller rehearsals have changed profoundly over the last decade. Safety nets have become an essential tool for the groups that want to work on constructions of maximum difficulty with the necessary guarantees. While many formations have been adapting their venues to these needs, some have had to live with space limitations that made it difficult to develop modern and efficient systems.

For years, every time a young child tops a human tower in front of thousands of people, the debate about the safety of castells resurfaces. The image of children several meters high continues to generate admiration, but also apprehension among those who see this practice as a particularly dangerous activity. Now, a study by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) and the Santa Tecla Network provides data that question this negative perception.

The human tower season continues to advance and this weekend has seen a new team enter the nine-story group. Minyons de Terrassa have completed the first 3d9f of the season at the Patrimoni festival, and four teams have now completed a 9-story tower in 2026, after Castellers de Vilafranca, Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls, and Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona.

The third weekend of May has confirmed the good feelings that were already sensed in rehearsals, with various colles taking a step forward and, in some cases, advancing schedules. The squares of Valls, Vilafranca, and Gràcia have been the great epicenters of a weekend that is already leaving the first notable milestones of the season.

The world of castells has traditionally been explained through emotion, tradition, and major festivals. But in recent years, a new way of understanding this universe has been gaining strength: the scientific perspective. Physics, mathematics, psychology, and architecture are some of the disciplines that help explain why castells work and what happens within a group beyond what is seen in the square.

The human tower event of the second weekend in May has delivered the first major blows with the debut of the 9-story towers. The Castellers de Vilafranca completed the first 9-story tower of the season in Les Cabanyes by unloading the 3d9f, in a performance that also served to consolidate 8-story structures and those in the mid-range of 7. The 'verds' completed the 4d8 and the 2d7, in addition to the 9d7 and the 7d7.

In the square, everything is ephemeral. It passes very quickly. The tower rises, trembles, is crowned, and comes down. It's a matter of minutes, very few. The epic lasts seconds. Afterwards, only the hugs remain, a photograph, and that feeling of having experienced something often inexplicable.

The Minyons de Terrassa demonstrated their progress this Sunday, having slowed their pace to ensure the correct steps. They achieved their main goal of completing a 3 of 10 human tower with a lining and handcuffs. Other highlights of the weekend included the Castellers de Sants' double of 9-level human towers and the Jove de Barcelona's classic 8-level tower. The Minyons, true to their nature, tackled their main objective right from the start. After a first foot that was placed before the grallas (traditional Catalan instruments) even sounded, they raised it into a tower that never stopped moving. The children's speed was key to completing a structure that struggled with the placement of the handcuffs and quarters. A quick descent allowed them to finish the tower to the cheers of the Plaça Vella. With the first challenge overcome, the second was a 4 of 9 without a lining. total castle They climbed to the third level but didn't display their best qualities, with two rows too close together. In this case, a more measured ascent by the children put the crowd under pressure in a tower they were building. They mustered the strength to push it to the limit and complete the fender again after 26 years. With the collapse, they abandoned their attempt at a third level and finished with the 5 of 8. Thus, they ended with a bittersweet feeling, but having once again put the name of the Minyons on the map of the country's top human tower groups.

A week before their festival, the Minyons de Terrassa have secured another 5 of 9, guaranteeing their chances of tackling the 3 of 10. They also completed three and four of nine.

The world of castellers is celebrating: November marks the fifteenth anniversary of UNESCO's declaration of the Catalan tradition as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This milestone represented a major recognition of the castells and was accompanied by an expansion of the activity, with the creation of some twenty new groups between 2010 and 2013; many of them in territories without a prior casteller tradition.

If there's one thing that brings out the best in the Castellers de Vilafranca, it's a challenge to their pride. Since San Félix, the green-clad team had endured a difficult few months, failing to achieve their goals, a stark contrast to the other Castellers de Vilafranca teams. Their last chance came on All Saints' Day, and there they displayed their full potential, delivering a memorable performance. Meanwhile, the Capgrossos de Mataró held back on their extra-high level, while the Moixiganguers de Igualada pulled off a 4 out of 9 with a lining, a feat the Niños de Tarragona couldn't match. A Vilafranca vindication

The Castellers de Vilafranca faced a difficult decision when choosing their castells program. Positive feelings during rehearsals led them to open with 4 out of 9 without a lining. total castle It has risen with good sizes, but without quite stabilizing. From the fin onwards, they managed to grit their teeth and complete it after six years.

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Saint Ursula is unique, which is why the human towers were born in Valls more than 200 years ago. This Sunday saw a memorable performance, which had surreal overtones throughout the day in Valls. Among the successes was the rounded performance by the Colla Vella de los Xiquets de Valls, with the 4 of 10 with a lining and handcuffs as a prop, and the first 2 of 9 without handcuffs in the history of the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls. Among these human towers, human towers, and the public alike have been expectantly waiting for the arrival of a vitally important human tower from the Reds, coming from the competitive examinations that were held this Sunday in Sant Cugat del Vallès.

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Throughout the season, hundreds of Catalan squares host human tower performances. But which one is best for building human towers? The slope and paving of the ground, along with the morphology of the square, are some of the key elements. Other factors also play a role, such as the available space for groups and the public, the area covered by shade, and the characteristics of the buildings in the square. This is how the human tower builder and architect Arnau Montoya developed his master's thesis at the Rovira Virgili University Chair for the Study of the Human Tower Fact on the Cultural Landscape of Human Tower Squares, which was later expanded and revised in the volume of the Enciclopèdia Castellera dedicated to human tower squares.

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The Castellers de Sants confirmed their current form by performing the three and four songs again with their own drums. They haven't performed together in the same performance since 2019. They were also accompanied by 2de8f. The Borinots also saw the wives of the Minyons de Terrassa perform on 2de9fm, along with the nine-man band and the six-man band. Meanwhile, the Capgrossos de Mataró, who were short on shirts, had 5de8 as their best castle.

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