Video: @57064089976 / IG
Enhanced Safety Gear for Young Castellers
On Wednesday 24 September 2026, during the casteller day of Barcelona's La Mercè festival, a new helmet and facial protector will be trialled for the first time. The updated safety gear was developed jointly by the Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya (CCCC), the medical team at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, and NZI, a company that has supplied casteller helmets since their introduction in 2006. The new design improves fit across a wider range of head sizes and extends frontal and lateral protection. It also includes a semi-rigid facial protector covering the eyebrows, nasal bridge, and cheekbones, key areas previously left exposed.
The helmet that reaches the colles is the result of months and months of work, of tests with dozens of children from different colles,
said Sílvia Simó, head of the medical and health area of the CCCC.
Phased Rollout, Not Immediate Replacement
The new helmet represents an evolution rather than a full replacement of the current model. The existing helmet remains valid and will continue to be used during a transition period as the new equipment is gradually introduced across the colles. Since mandatory helmets were introduced in 2006, following the death of a 12-year-old girl during a fall, no serious craniocerebral injuries have been recorded among castellers. The update aims to further reduce risks, particularly for children involved in lower levels of human towers. Casteller groups, or colles, are encouraged to adopt the new gear as it becomes available through official distribution channels coordinated by the CCCC.
Reported by betevé.
