Castells Festival Begins with Cultural Programme
The XXX Concurs de Castells, Tarragona's prestigious human tower competition, is underway with a series of cultural and community events leading up to the main contest days. Although today is Monday 28 September 2026, the central performances have not yet taken place, with the first already completed and key events still to come.
First Performance Held in Torredembarra
The opening event occurred on Sunday 27 September in Torredembarra's Plaça del Castell, where 12 human tower teams, known as colles castelleres, participated. According to the official Concurs de Castells website, the teams included those from Esparreguera, Sarrià, Badalona, Mollet, Figueres, Berga, Poble Sec, Pla de l'Estany, Caldes de Montbui, Esquerra de l’Eixample, Cambrils and Cerdanyola. In the event of rain, the performance would have moved to the Pavelló Sant Jordi. If any group built a tower of difficulty 7de7 or higher, they were scheduled to perform solo, as per contest rules.
Parallel Cultural Events Underway
The festival's cultural programme began on Saturday 26 September with Pau, a concert by the Orquestra de Músiques d’Arrel de Catalunya (OMAC) held at 8pm at the Teatre de Tarragona. The performance, inspired by cellist and conductor Pau Casals, blends classical and traditional music to reflect on human rights and culture’s transformative power. Tickets were available via the city’s official booking portal entrades.tarragona.cat. On Monday 28 September at 7pm, the Antic Ajuntament de Tarragona hosted a screening of the 2006 documentary Castells by Gereon Wetzel, which follows the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls during the 2004 season. The event, organised by the Centre de Prospectiva i Anàlisi dels Castells (CEPAC), included a special appearance by producer Anna Ginestí. Another documentary screening, Castells de Ciència, is scheduled for Wednesday 30 September at 7pm in the Aula Magna of the URV’s Campus Catalunya.
International Participation and Final Weekend
On Saturday 3 October, the Diades Internacionals de Colles Castelleres will take place at Plaça de la Font in Tarragona. This event, now in its fifth edition, will feature teams from Andorra, Paris, London, Madrid, Copenhagen and Lo Prado (Chile), with greeting towers from Lausanne, Eire, Alghero and Euskal Herria. The main contest returns to Tarraco Arena Plaça on Saturday 3 October at 4.30pm, with 16 colles participating, including Castellers de Sabadell, Marrecs de Salt, Xics de Granollers and Castellers de Barcelona. The final and most anticipated day is Sunday 4 October at 10am. The draw held in El Vendrell determined the performance order for the top four teams: Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, Colla Vella Xiquets de Valls, Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona and Castellers de Vilafranca. Also competing are Castellers de Sants, Capgrossos de Mataró and Moixiganguers d’Igualada, among others.
Primary sources: agenda.cultura.gencat.cat, Centre de Perspectiva i Anàlisi dels Castells (CEPAC). Reported by entrades.tarragona.cat, tornaveu.cat, Documental ´Concurs 1970´, Activitats paral·leles, Torredembarra event, eng.concursdecastells.cat, torredembarra.cat, laciutat.cat, festivalcinemacastells.cat, per ACN, tarragona.cat, Racó Català.
