Barcelona La Mercè Festival features human towers
- Eight Barcelona groups constructed and safely dismantled 25 human towers, known as castells, during performances on Thursday as part of the annual La Mercè festival.
- The base of each tower consists of a dense ring of people known as the pinya, which supports the main structure as lighter members climb upward.
- The celebration traces its religious roots back centuries, with its modern incarnation dating to 1871.
Eight Barcelona groups constructed and safely dismantled 25 human towers, known as castells, during performances on Thursday as part of the annual La Mercè festival. Eight groups, or colles, participated in the daytime event, which also included three additional attempts that were safely taken down before completion.
Festival Tradition and Structure of the Towers
The base of each tower consists of a dense ring of people known as the pinya, which supports the main structure as lighter members climb upward. Children make up the final three levels of the formation, with the smallest child climbing to the very peak and raising one hand to signal completion. Following the ascent, teams execute the equally delicate process of dismantling the structure. The tallest towers built on Thursday reached nine stories high. Traditional Catalan instruments accompanied the performances, and organizers reported no injuries during the events.
La Mercè Schedule and Cultural Events
The celebration traces its religious roots back centuries, with its modern incarnation dating to 1871. Today, the event functions primarily as a citywide cultural festival encompassing roughly 500 different activities. Alongside the human tower displays, the program features processions of devils and other figures, traditional dances, concerts, fireworks displays, and free admission to select municipal historical monuments.
Upcoming Performances at Plaça de Sant Jaume
The host group Castellers de Barcelona, the oldest active team in the city, invited Minyons de Terrassa and Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls from outside the city to perform additional technical formations.