Hundreds of People Built Towers With Their Own Bodies in a Historic Competition

For more than four hours on Sunday, October 4, a packed arena in Tarragona, Spain, became the stage for one of the world’s most remarkable displays of teamwork.

Thousands of spectators watched as 12 of Catalonia’s leading castellers groups competed to build human towers, known locally as castells.

The tradition involves groups of people standing on one another’s shoulders to create towers that can rise several levels above the ground. At the very top, children known as enxanetes climb into position to complete the structure.

The 2026 competition brought together some of the strongest teams in Catalonia for the first time in two years. The event was originally expected to begin earlier, but organizers delayed the start until the afternoon because of weather and safety concerns.

Once the teams entered the arena, the atmosphere changed completely.

There were successful climbs, difficult falls, celebrations and moments when entire stands rose to their feet. Some groups attempted structures they had never completed before.

The Castellers de Vilafranca ultimately won the competition after completing a historic nine-person, nine-level tower, known as a 9d9f. The achievement helped secure their victory after a series of extremely difficult climbs.

The Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls finished second, while the Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona took third.

For some groups, however, the most important victories were personal.

The Xiquets de Reus completed a nine-level tower for the first time in their history. The Vila de Gràcia also successfully completed a nine-level tower for the first time since 2018.

The Jove de Tarragona created another unforgettable moment when it successfully loaded its first 10-level tower of the group’s history. Although the structure eventually gave way as the children began climbing down, the achievement was enough to send the arena into celebration.

That combination of risk and cooperation is what makes the tradition so extraordinary.

Every person in a human tower has a role. The strongest members form the base, while others climb higher and higher until the smallest members reach the top.

The result is more than a competition. It is a demonstration of trust, coordination and collective effort — a tradition in which an individual cannot succeed without everyone around them.

And on this year’s biggest stage, that spirit produced one of the most memorable human-tower competitions in recent years.

Sources

• ARA
• Reuters
• Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya
• Tarragona Turisme