Human towers contest biggest day underway: 12 groups vie for glory
Event happens every two years and dates back to 1932, dragging international attention
‘Castellers’, or human towers, are going through their most special day every two years: the biggest day of its biennial contest, where the 12 best ‘colles’, or groups, are all vying for glory, kicked off at 10 am on Sunday with a crowd of over 5,000 enthusiastic people following.
Tarragona’s Tarraco Arena venue, in southern Catalonia, in the heartland of this tradition, is gathering this show and shortly after 3pm the best team will be crowned.
This year marks the 29th edition of the competition, which first took place in 1932 and became a regular event in the 1980s.
The third and most decisive day of the contest is taking place on Sunday, after it began on September 29 with 12 'colles' from the lowest tier competing in a preliminary 'diada'. Nois de la Torre, a group from Torredembarra, north of Tarragona, prevailed in the event crowning the best of the most modest ones.
On Saturday, October 5, 18 more ‘colles’ fought hard to beat each other in the second-tier championship, with the Castellers de Lleida, based in the western Catalan city, lifting the trophy thanks to three human towers of eight stories each.
400 journalists from 15 countries
The high expectations surrounding the competition are reflected in the number of accredited international media.
More than 400 journalists will be present, an increase of 100 from the last edition, representing 30 different media outlets from 15 countries.
A National Geographic team is expected to film a documentary exploring the mathematics behind the construction of 'castells'.