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🧍 Europe · Spain

Castells: human towers and the Concurs de Castells

BE PART OF the tower: castellers build human towers, and newcomers start in the pinya (the crowd at the base).

Workshop / open buildWatch & buy local
Not publishedNext date
None listedNext deadline / key date
Colles rehearse year-round; the Concurs is every two years in late Sep / early OctUsual timing
Tarragona, Catalonia, SpainWhere
01 · How to take part

Your way in

Go to an open rehearsal (assaig) of a local colla castellera and join the pinya; watch the Concurs, where the top colles compete (tickets by public draw).

Workshop / open build

Join the pinya at an open rehearsal

Colles castelleres are open clubs: anyone can join, and newcomers start in the pinya, the dense base that holds the tower up. Go to a colla's rehearsal (assaig); in Sep 2026 the Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona invited the public to take part in its open rehearsals.

Watch & buy local

Watch the Concurs de Castells

Every two years the 42 top-ranked colles compete in Torredembarra and at the Tarraco Arena Plaça in Tarragona. Tickets were allocated by public draw in 2026.

You build or use
BE PART OF the tower: castellers build human towers, and newcomers start in the pinya (the crowd at the base)
Participation
Build (join a colla's rehearsal); Watch (Concurs)
Entry and deadlines
Colles are open associations that anyone can join. The Concurs is by invitation only, for 42 colles chosen by ranking; Concurs tickets were allocated by public draw in July 2026
Where
Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
02 · Dates

Dates and deadlines, Jan 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: Colles rehearse year-round; the Concurs is every two years in late Sep / early Oct. Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

No upcoming date has been published yet.

Already passed this season: 27 Sep 2026: XXX Concurs de Castells 2026: Torredembarra day; 3–4 Oct 2026: XXX Concurs de Castells 2026, Tarraco Arena Plaça.

See it on the calendar →

03 · Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Pinya basics: where to stand, how to brace and when to push

Also useful:

  • Following the cap de colla's calls and the gralla music
  • Body safety: posture, the faixa (sash) and no jewellery
Difficulty our estimateBeginner (pinya)
Prep time our estimate1–2 rehearsals to learn a pinya position

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

  1. Newcomers start in the pinya, the crowd at the base that supports the tower and cushions any fall.
  2. Push only when asked from the front; listen for the calls.
  3. Take advice from experienced castellers: everyone had a first time.
  4. The music of the gralla sets the rhythm the tower is built to.
  5. Rehearsals (assajos) are where you learn; colles practise weekly and the knowledge is passed on by practice.

Practise before you go

  • Read the CCCC's guide to castells and the pinya before your first rehearsal.
  • Contact a local colla and ask when its next rehearsal is.
  • Watch a performance first to see how the pinya works.

Safety notes

  • Follow the colla's instructions exactly; never climb unless asked.
  • Remove watches, rings and anything hard.
  • Children who climb wear helmets designed for castells.

Resources

Officialofficial federation guide

Els Castells

What castells are, how the pinya works, and why anyone can join a colla.

Publisher: Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya (CCCC)

Officialofficial city festival programme

Assajos oberts de la Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona

Example of an open rehearsal where the public was invited to take part (Sep 2026).

Publisher: Ajuntament de Tarragona (Santa Tecla festival programme)

OfficialUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Human towers

UNESCO's description of castells and how the skills are passed on.

Publisher: UNESCO

Officialofficial competition site

Concurs de Castells

Concurs dates, rules and results.

Publisher: Concurs de Castells de Tarragona (Ajuntament de Tarragona)

All skills guides

04 · Check before you go

What we could and couldn't confirm

Before you book

  • The next Concurs is in 2028; its dates are not announced.
  • Rehearsal days and times vary by colla: check the colla's own channels.
  • Costs are not listed on Nomad. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.
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