London has a great opportunity this Saturday to experience the tradition of castells (human towers) up close. Catalans have been building these breathtaking towers for more than 200 years. Starting at 12 p.m., Potters Fields Park will host a performance featuring one of the oldest and most prominent teams on the scene: Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls.
Around 180 members will travel from the city of Valls, the cradle of this unique tradition. Castells are human structures that can reach up to ten tiers in height, built through teamwork, solidarity and a spirit of perseverance, integrating people of all ages and backgrounds. In recent decades, it has become remarkably popular, with thousands of people across Catalonia practicing the activity, forming nearly a hundred teams. In 2010, UNESCO added castells to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The appeal of castells has spread far beyond Catalonia, inspiring groups in Chile, China, and several European countries —including the United Kingdom—. In fact, the Catalan team will perform alongside the Castellers of London, founded ten years ago, and the Mannekes of Brussels, a newly formed group born in Belgium’s capital.
Eight Tiers High Beside Tower Bridge
This will not be the first time that Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls performs in London. Back in 2014, they took part in an event advocating Catalonia’s right to self-determination in various European capitals.
As in that earlier visit, the team aims to raise an impressive eight-tier tower on Saturday. Such a feat requires the entire group to work in perfect coordination to create a strong base that supports successive levels until a child—the enxaneta—climbs to the very top and raises a hand to crown the structure. This gesture signals that the tower has reached full height, prompting the crowd’s first round of applause, followed by cheers once all participants have safely descended.
The whole process will be accompanied by the Toc de Castell—a traditional melody played on the gralla, a Catalan double-reed instrument. The music changes to signal the three main stages of the human tower: going up, reaching the top, and going downand serves as a guide for the castellers forming the base and middle levels, who cannot see what is happening above them.
International Catalan culture and local community day
The Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, based in London, is dedicating the month of September to celebrating and showcasing Catalan culture abroad.
The British capital will host a series of events, from the annual institutional reception on Catalonia’s National Day to new initiatives such as the exhibition ‘The Kitchen of Prodigies’, which commemorates Catalonia’s designation as European Cultural Gastronomic Region 2025.
A major highlight is the International Catalan Culture and Local Community Day on Saturday, 20 September at Potters Fields Park. The event coincides with the 10th anniversary of local human towers group ‘Castellers of London’ and the Catalan London School, organisations that have become key cultural and educational reference points for the Catalan community in the UK.
The event, organised by the Delegation of the Catalan Government to the UK and Ireland, in collaboration with the ‘Castellers of London’, will showcase the most representative elements of Catalonia’s intangible heritage and strengthen ties with the local community. In fact, Southwak is home both to the Castellers of London, since the group rehearsing facilities are located there, and the Catalan London School. Founded in 2015 to promote the tradition of castells in the British capital, the ‘Castellers of London’ bring together members of all ages and backgrounds.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to discover one of the world’s most spectacular and emotionally powerful cultural traditions! Admission is free and open to everyone.
