The Diada Castellera filled Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona on Thursday, 24 September 2026. As part of the festivities for La Mercè several casteller groups from the city erected their multi-storey human towers in the square in front of the Ajuntament de Barcelona . The performance began in the early afternoon according to the programme and attracted numerous spectators.
According to the city's Mercè programme, the Castellers de Barcelona organised the gathering. The colles had earlier processed in a short parade through the Barri Gòtic and then assembled in Plaça Sant Jaume. Accompanied by gralles and the Toc de castells, the groups performed classic formations from the local scene. As usual, the participating groups coordinated the order of attempts and formations among themselves.
Observers at the scene and regional media reports confirmed that the performance went ahead without incident. Reliable overall figures for the audience were not available initially that evening. The groups also continued to publish their own details on the exact make-up of the individual towers; a consolidated account was not yet available. Claims about successful formations should be attributed to the respective colles.
The Diada Castellera is considered one of the regular highlights of the city's cultural calendar. It is part of the multi-day La Mercè celebrations, which traditionally bring together concerts, parades and performances of popular culture. Castells are an established form of intangible cultural heritage in Catalonia and are a defining feature of events, particularly in Barcelona's historic centre. For the city authorities, large gatherings in Plaça Sant Jaume regularly raise issues of traffic management, barriers and medical provision.
This year's Diada Castellera was listed in the city's official programme for 13:00. Local broadcasters and platforms included the event in the day's La Mercè schedule and noted the participation of several colles based in Barcelona. Images and written reports from the afternoon documented events in the historic setting of the Barri Gòtic.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).