Tarragona’s Xiquets de Tarragona marked their centenary with two castells performances in the Basque Country on 30 May 2026. Nearly 300 members travelled to Biscay for the events, which drew hundreds of spectators.
The first performance took place in front of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, as part of the main festival programme organised by Alonsotegi City Council. The group said the aim was to introduce the human tower tradition to the Basque community.
Facing an audience less familiar with castells, the Xiquets built and dismantled several structures, including the 3 of 7, 5 of 7, 4 of 7, 7 of 7, and the 4 of 7 with a needle. The display ended with a pillar of 5 and four pillars of 4.
After a group lunch in Alonsotegi, the group performed again in Andra Mari square as part of the town’s festive programme. They repeated the 3 of 7, 4 of 7, 5 of 7, 7 of 7, and the 4 of 7 with a needle, which received particular applause, before closing with the traditional farewell pillars.
The Xiquets said the day helped promote the human tower tradition outside Catalonia and gave members a chance to practise technically demanding structures. The group also said the experience strengthened bonds among members and allowed them to take castells to new places during their 100th anniversary year.
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