Catalonia's biggest human towers contest returns this weekend – All details and how to watch

The Concurs de Castells, the cornerstone event celebrating Catalonia's iconic human towers, takes place this weekend in Tarragona.  

The competition pits the best teams of 'castells' against each other, with 41 'colles' - or groups - competing to build the tallest and most intricate structures.  

This year marks the 29th edition of the competition, which first took place in 1932 and became a regular event in the 1980s.  

The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Tarragona's Tarraco Arena Plaça, with more than 11,000 visitors expected over the weekend, not including the thousands of 'castellers' who take part.  

The 'colles' are selected based on their performance throughout the season and are divided into three tiers.  

The competition began on September 29 with 12 'colles' from the lowest tier competing in a preliminary 'diada'.  

On Saturday at 4.30 p.m., the first 'diada' of the weekend will feature 18 more 'colles' from the second tier.  

On Sunday, the top 12 colles in the rankings will compete for the championship title, starting at 10 a.m.  

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'.

How the competition works 

The competition is the most special event of the year because it is the only 'diada' of the season where all 'colles' receive a score based on the difficulty of their constructions.

In fact, this scoring system is somewhat controversial. The Minyons de Terrassa, one of the top 'colles', have never participated, as they believe that 'castells' cannot be scored numerically.

The competition follows a written set of rules that assigns points to each castell, and a jury validates the scores and decides in cases of uncertainty.

This competition format encourages the participating 'colles' to showcase their best constructions, bringing together the most spectacular 'castells' in a single day.

The 'collas' have five rounds to attempt their best 'castells'. The colla with the highest score at the end of the competition is declared the winner and receives a prize of €16,000.

The Castellers de Vilafranca have dominated the Concurs since the mid-1990s, winning eleven of the last thirteen editions.

Where to watch 

The competition can be viewed on local TV channels and will also be fully streamed online on La Xarxa+, a free streaming platform that offers access to 30 local Catalan TV stations. Registration on the website is all that’s needed to access the content.

The station will provide comprehensive coverage of both days of the competition, featuring expert analysis and stunning aerial footage, from Saturday at 4.30pm until 9pm, and on Sunday from 9am to 6pm.