# Nomad · Castells: human towers and the Concurs de Castells: sources

Row #30 of `experiences_v1.csv` (research pass 3 Oct 2026, IST). Dates and deadlines come from `cal.py` (date check 4 Oct 2026, IST), which is the source of truth for dates, with the 4 Oct 2026 source-rule audit applied. The page deliberately shows **no prices** and no contact emails; see the official site.

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Name, place (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain), continent | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| Usual timing: Colles rehearse year-round; the Concurs is every two years in late Sep / early Oct | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| What you build / use: BE PART OF the tower: castellers build human towers, and newcomers start in the pinya (the crowd at the base) | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| How a traveller takes part: 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) | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| Participation level: Build (join a colla's rehearsal); Watch (Concurs) | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| Entry requirements / deadline: 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 | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells (primary) · https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ (secondary) |
| Verification note (research pass): Concurs dates from the organiser (Ajuntament de Tarragona). Open-rehearsal invitation from Tarragona's official festival programme; 'anyone can join' from the Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya. | experiences_v1.csv |
| Date: 27 Sep 2026: XXX Concurs de Castells 2026: Torredembarra day. Ajuntament de Tarragona official agenda: Sun 27 Sep 2026. Build/use: Human towers built by 12 colles. How to join: Watch in the Plaça del Castell. | https://www.tarragona.cat/cultura/agenda/2026/setembre/xxx-concurs-de-castells-jornada-de-torredembarra |
| Date: 3–4 Oct 2026: XXX Concurs de Castells 2026, Tarraco Arena Plaça. Official Concurs site: Sat 3 Oct (18 colles) and Sun 4 Oct (top 12). Build/use: Human towers built by the top 30 colles. How to join: Tickets by public draw (July). | https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ |
| Take-part route "Join the pinya at an open rehearsal" (Workshop / open build): 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. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Take-part route "Watch the Concurs de Castells" (Watch & buy local): 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. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Check note: The next Concurs is in 2028; its dates are not announced. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Check note: Rehearsal days and times vary by colla: check the colla's own channels. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |

## Skills you'll need (section 03)

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Skills (this experience): Pinya basics: where to stand, how to brace and when to push; Following the cap de colla's calls and the gralla music; Body safety: posture, the faixa (sash) and no jewellery | Skills research, checked 2026-10-14 (IST) |
| Difficulty (our estimate): Beginner (pinya); prep time (our estimate): 1–2 rehearsals to learn a pinya position. Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures. | Curiosta editorial estimate |
| Refresher, practice and safety steps: Newcomers start in the pinya, the crowd at the base that supports the tower and cushions any fall. / Push only when asked from the front; listen for the calls. / Take advice from experienced castellers: everyone had a first time. / The music of the gralla sets the rhythm the tower is built to. / Rehearsals (assajos) are where you learn; colles practise weekly and the knowledge is passed on by practice. / 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. / Follow the colla's instructions exactly; never climb unless asked. / Remove watches, rings and anything hard. / Children who climb wear helmets designed for castells. | Our summary of the resources below |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya (CCCC)): Els Castells: What castells are, how the pinya works, and why anyone can join a colla. | https://castellscat.cat/en/els-castells |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Ajuntament de Tarragona (Santa Tecla 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). | https://www.tarragona.cat/cultura/festes-i-cultura-popular/santa-tecla/activitats/2026/divendres-18-de-setembre/assajos-oberts-de-la-colla-jove-xiquets-de-tarragona |
| Resource (Official; publisher: UNESCO): Human towers: UNESCO's description of castells and how the skills are passed on. | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/human-towers-00364 |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Concurs de Castells de Tarragona (Ajuntament de Tarragona)): Concurs de Castells: Concurs dates, rules and results. | https://www.concursdecastells.cat/ |
| Also consulted for the skills section | https://esp.concursdecastells.cat/concurs-26-1-cdc |
| Also consulted for the skills section | https://www.tarragona.cat/cultura/agenda/2026/setembre/xxx-concurs-de-castells-jornada-de-torredembarra |

## Check notes shown on the page

- The next Concurs is in 2028; its dates are not announced.
- Rehearsal days and times vary by colla: check the colla's own channels.

## Our grouping

- Levels shown: Workshop / open build, Watch & buy local (our grouping of the CSV participation level "Build (join a colla's rehearsal); Watch (Concurs)").
- Usual months used by the month filter: Sep, Oct.