Last updated: September 2026
The Concurs de Castells de Tarragona returns in 2026 for its 30th edition, bringing together some of the strongest casteller groups in Catalonia for three days of human towers, strategy, technique and competition.
For anyone discovering castells for the first time, the Concurs is one of the best places to understand just how complex this tradition can become.
The towers may be the most spectacular part, but the event is also about the colles, the scoring system, the technical difficulty of each construction and the thousands of people working together inside the arena.
Want to experience the casteller world in Barcelona? Get 10% off our Craft Beer & Castellers Experience with the code HumanTowers26. Valid until 6 November 2026.
See the ExperienceWhat Is the Concurs de Castells?
The Concurs de Castells is a competitive meeting of casteller groups from across Catalonia.
Most casteller performances are not competitions. Colles arrive with their own programme of towers and try to complete them successfully as part of a local festival or casteller day.
The Concurs is different because every castell receives a score according to its difficulty and whether it is successfully completed.
This creates an extra strategic element. A colla has to decide whether to attempt a more difficult castell for a higher potential score or choose a slightly easier structure with a better chance of completing it.
How Does the Concurs de Castells Work?
The competition is organised around a scoring table that gives each type of castell a different value.
More technically difficult constructions are worth more points, while the final score also depends on whether the tower is only completed to the top or successfully taken down.
Castell carregat
A castell is considered carregat when the structure reaches completion and the enxaneta makes the traditional gesture at the top, but the tower falls before being fully dismantled.
Castell descarregat
A castell is descarregat when the tower is built and then successfully taken down without falling.
A descarregat castell scores more than the same structure only carregat.
Understanding the Names of the Castells
The terminology can seem complicated the first time you hear it, but the names describe the structure of the tower.
3 de 9 amb folre
The number 3 indicates three people on each main level, while 9 refers to the height of the construction.
Amb folre means that the tower includes an additional supporting structure above the main pinya.
Pilar
A pilar is a vertical column with one person on each level.
Agulla
An agulla is a central pillar that remains inside another castell and becomes visible as the outer structure is dismantled.
Manilles
Manilles are an additional support level placed above the folre in some of the most complex structures.
Why Is the Concurs de Castells So Important?
The Concurs is one of the moments when the technical evolution of the casteller world becomes most visible.
Colles often arrive after months of rehearsals and use the competition to attempt some of the most ambitious structures of their season.
Completing a difficult castell at the Concurs can become an important part of a colla's history.
But the importance of castells goes far beyond the final classification.
Every tower depends on dozens or hundreds of people working together, from those climbing to the people supporting the structure from the pinya.
Castells and UNESCO
Castells were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
The recognition highlighted their importance as part of Catalan cultural identity and the way the tradition is passed from one generation to the next.
UNESCO also highlighted the social values associated with the casteller world, including cohesion and solidarity within the community.
That is one of the reasons why castells cannot really be understood by looking only at the people climbing.
The pinya, the rehearsals, the musicians, the families and the social life around each colla are all part of the same tradition.
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia
Barcelona has several active casteller groups, including the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
The modern colla began in 1996, although casteller activity in Gràcia has much older roots.
Their first rehearsal took place in Plaça del Sol, and over the following years the group progressed from six and seven-level structures to eight and nine-level castells.
From Plaça del Sol to the Concurs
The Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia have grown from a neighbourhood initiative into one of Barcelona's established colles, participating in the Concurs de Castells and completing increasingly difficult constructions.
Their story is a good example of how castells combine technical progression with neighbourhood identity.
Their role also goes far beyond the moments when they build towers.
The colla participates actively in the cultural and social life of Gràcia, including neighbourhood activities and the Festa Major de Gràcia.
Why the 2026 Concurs Is Attracting International Attention
The Concurs already attracts journalists and visitors from around the world, but the 2026 edition is receiving particular international attention.
US television network CBS is travelling to Tarragona with a six-person team led by journalist Lesley Stahl to prepare a report for 60 Minutes.
The visit gives the event additional international visibility, but the real focus remains the same as always: the castells, the colles and the attempt to complete some of the most difficult human towers of the season.
Can You Experience Castells in Barcelona?
Yes.
You do not need to travel to Tarragona or wait for the Concurs to discover the casteller world.
Our Craft Beer & Castellers Experience takes place in Gràcia and introduces visitors to the neighbourhood, local craft beer and the world of the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
Seeing a colla from close range gives you a very different perspective from watching a tower on television.
You hear the gralles, see the pinya forming and understand how much coordination and trust goes into every attempt.
Get 10% off our Craft Beer & Castellers Experience with the code HumanTowers26. Valid until 6 November 2026.
Book the ExperienceFAQ: Concurs de Castells Tarragona 2026
The Concurs de Castells is a competitive event that brings together casteller groups from across Catalonia. Each castell receives a score according to its difficulty and whether it is carregat or descarregat.
The 2026 competition takes place on 27 September in Torredembarra and on 3 and 4 October in Tarragona.
A castell is carregat when it reaches the top but falls before being fully dismantled. It is descarregat when it is both completed and successfully taken down.
Yes. Castells were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Yes. Barcelona has several active casteller groups, including the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
Experience castells in Barcelona
Discover Gràcia, local craft beer and the world of the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia with our Craft Beer & Castellers Experience.
Get 10% off with the code HumanTowers26.
Valid until 6 November 2026.