The draw that took place this Saturday at the Pau Casals Auditorium in El Vendrell has finished outlining the scenario for the XXX Human Towers Competition (Concurs de Castells). The groups participating in the three days of the competition now know the position they will occupy in the square and, therefore, the moment when they will have to face each of their challenges. With the cards now dealt, the countdown begins for one of the most important events on the human tower calendar.

The 2026 Concurs de Castells now has the definitive list of participating groups. With the classification closed, it is now known who will compete in each of the three days of the event, which will be held on September 27th and October 3rd and 4th in Torredembarra and at the Tarraco Arena Plaça.

The 2026 Castells Competition begins on September 1st, when the new scoring table comes into effect. It includes the unlined 7-piece pillar and increases the difference between loaded and unloaded castells. However, there are no changes to the scoring order of the castells. These and other agreements have been the result of the consultative process launched by the organizers, in which 54 casteller groups, experts, and journalists participated.

The Castells Competition has sent a survey to the 42 participating groups in the last edition and will hold discussions with human tower builders, opinion leaders, and journalists "to draw up a new scoring table with the aim of achieving the broadest possible consensus and serving as a reference for many editions of the competition." This is in line with the advisory committee's 2023 plan to establish "clarity in the evaluation system, adapting it to the present and future challenges of human tower building"

The Castells Competition is one of the showcases, if not the main one, for human towers in the world. And at the same time, it is a source of recurring debate. Now, a study conducted by Carles Esteve, Enric Güell, and Pau Ricomà thanks to a grant from CEPAC (Center for Prospective and Analysis of Human Towers) and the URV proposes substantial changes to aspects such as the human tower scoring table, the rounds, and the distribution of tickets. However, the final decision rests with the Competition's organizers and advisory committee, which must decide before August 31st whether to implement these changes for the 2026 edition or postpone it for a later date.