2024-10-08

Concurs de Castells

Every two years, on the first Sunday of October, Tarragona becomes the scene of a spectacular and unique event: the Concurs de Castells. This festival of competitions of human towers, known as “castells,” brings together teams from all over Catalonia to demonstrate their strength, balance and teamwork in a tradition that has been an important part of Catalan culture for centuries.

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Concurs de Castells

What are Castells?

A "castell" is a human tower made up of several layers of people, built by teams called "colles." The towers can reach impressive heights, up to ten stories. Each level of the tower is formed by several "castellers" who lean on each other for support and balance. The tower is completed when a young child, the "enxaneta," climbs to the top and raises a hand in the air as a sign of success.

Building castells requires not only physical strength, but also teamwork, trust and a deep sense of community among the members of a colla.

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The Concurs de Castells

The Concurs de Castells, held in the Tarraco Arena Palace, is the largest and most prestigious castell event in the world. Here, the best colles compete for the title of best tower builders. It is an intense competition in which not only the height of the tower counts, but also its complexity and stability.

What makes the Concurs so special is the atmosphere. The cheers of thousands of spectators, the tension at each new layer of the tower and the release of joy (or sadness) at the success or failure of the construction create an unprecedented energy in the arena.

Watch here the spectacular video of the Concurs de Castells

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The Competition Structure

The Competition consists of two competition days:

  • Saturday is reserved for the smaller colles who compete for their place in the rankings.
  • Sunday is the highlight, when the top teams challenge each other with the most complex and highest castells.

Teams are judged on a points system. The higher and more complex the tower, the more points it earns. For example, building a successful 3 de 10 amb folre i manilles (a ten-storey tower with a base and support structure) is one of the biggest achievements in the competition.

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2025-01-31

Gran Festa de Calçots in Valls

Every year on the last Sunday of January, the Gran Festa de Calçots takes place in the town of Valls. Calçots (spring onions) are a typical Catalan dish. On all the squares of the town, they are completely blackened over large fires until they are done. Then the 'calçotada' begins and they are eaten, by the crowd that has gathered, after the outer skin has been removed, with a delicious romesco sauce. This is of course accompanied by lots of cava, happiness and local folklore! It is the start of the Calçot season, which lasts until Easter.

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