Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia

What Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia does

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a non-profit cultural association (colla castellera) founded in 1996 in the Vila de Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona, dedicated to the practice and promotion of castells, the Catalan tradition of building human towers recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The organization operates as a community-led entity with approximately 150 active members and a small paid staff of around 5, holding free open rehearsals twice weekly at its headquarters, Can Musons (Carrer de l'Alzina 7, 08024, Barcelona), from late February to mid-November. It ranks among the top ten colles in Catalan casteller rankings and has achieved high-level constructions including the 3de9f, 4de9f, 5d8, 7d8, and pilar de 6, with its best historical Concurs de Castells position reached in 2014.

The colla's revenue model rests on three pillars: recurring public subsidies exceeding €100,000 annually from Catalan government bodies (subject to Llei 19/2014 transparency obligations), fee-based services including castells workshops for schools, organizations, and festivals, and paid performances for private events such as weddings and corporate celebrations, supplemented by a small voluntary membership fee. All transportation to performances is covered by the organization. Beyond its core castells activity, the colla operates two notable social initiatives: the biennial Beca Mike Lane research grant for spinal cord injury research (€26,751.84 disbursed in the 4th edition) and the annual Els 10 Blaus charity race through Vila de Gràcia, which attracted over 1,000 participants in its 12th edition. Its customer base spans educational institutions, private event organizers, municipal government (Ajuntament de Barcelona for the Mercè Festival), and international cultural festivals (Festival Complètement Cirque in Montreal), with international activity anchored by a goddaughter relationship with Castellers de Montreal.

Recent governance and operational milestones include the 2025 election of Marçal Bertranpetit as president, the January 2026 ratification of Carla Piñera as the colla's first female cap de colla, the approval of a pioneering protocol addressing sexist, LGBTI-phobic, and racist violence in the casteller context, and a 2026 special mention at the 76th Premis Ciutat de Barcelona in the Cultures Populars i Comunitàries category. The colla was awarded the Medalla d'Honor de Barcelona in 1999 and recognized as Colla de la Temporada in 2014 and 2015.

Name

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia

Legal name

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia

Website

https://cvg.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a non-profit Catalan cultural association founded in 1996 in Barcelona's Gràcia neighborhood, dedicated to the practice and promotion of castells (human towers), a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The 150+ member colla serves schools, private event organizers, municipal festivals, and international cultural festivals through workshops, performances, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAKAA

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Workshops & Classes (Arts, Crafts, Skills & Local Lessons)

Keywords

• Human tower building
• Castells cultural performances
• Catalan heritage workshops
• Community cultural association
• Traditional castells events

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public subsidies and grants: The organization receives public funding exceeding €100,000 annually from government bodies, subject to transparency obligations under Catalan Law 19/2014. They publish economic results and budgets publicly.
2. Workshop and performance fees: Revenue generated from providing castells workshops to schools, entities, companies, and festivals, as well as paid performances for private events including weddings and corporate celebrations.
3. Voluntary membership fees: While participation is free, the organization has a small voluntary membership fee. Transportation to performances is covered by the colla.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a community cultural association that practices and performs castells (Catalan human towers) and offers related paid services: educational workshops teaching castells history, values, and technique adapted to schools, organizations, companies, and festivals; live castells performances for private events such as weddings and corporate celebrations; and guided rehearsal visits at its headquarters Can Musons in Barcelona.

Product overview

Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a traditional Catalan human tower building (castells) organization founded in 1996. The organization offers cultural services including castell workshops, professional castell performances for events, and rehearsal visits. Additionally, the colla runs social initiatives including the biennial Beca Mike Lane (a spinal cord injury research grant) and organizes the annual Els 10 Blaus charity race. The organization's core offering is the cultural practice and performance of castells, a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage, rather than a technology product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tallers de Castells (Castells Workshops)
• Actuació Castellera (Castells Performances)
• Visites a l'Assaig (Rehearsal Visits)

Quantifiable outcome

• €26,751.84 raised for the 4th edition of the Beca Mike Lane for spinal cord injury research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Castellers de MontrealcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2025Castellers de Montreal is the goddaughter colla (colla fillola) of Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia. The partnership involves joint performances at the Festival Complètement Cirque, cultural exchange, and support for spreading castells culture in Canada. The Barcelona colla supports the Montreal group in maintaining this Catalan cultural expression abroad.
• CorreCATagafominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2025Co-organizer of the '10 Blaus' race event, a 10km running event through the streets of Vila de Gràcia, held annually with over 1000 participants.
• ACIDH (Associació Catalana per la Integració de Discapacitats Humans)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2025Co-organizer of the '10 Blaus' race, contributing to the event's accessibility and inclusion of runners with disabilities, including the 'CorreAmbMi' project for wheelchair racers.
• Institut de Bioenginyeria de CatalunyaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Second edition of Beca Mike Lane (€16,696) was awarded to the project of Dra. Zaida Àlvarez Pinto on the use of 3D-printed decellularized matrices as therapy for spinal cord lesion repair.
• Institut GuttmannminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The first Beca Mike Lane (€10,000) was awarded to research led by Dra. Kumru on transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation for respiratory function improvement. Third edition was also awarded to Institut Guttmann for AI-based prediction of neuromodulation response for neuropathic pain treatment.
• Festival Montreal Complètement CirqueminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2015International cultural festival in Quebec, Canada, where Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia have performed twice (2015 and 2025) showcasing Catalan castells culture to Canadian audiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minyons de Terrassa: Terrassa-based casteller colla and consistent top-3 performer at the Concurs de Castells. Directly competes with CVG for technical ranking, member recruitment, and festival slots. Operates the same membership-based community model with workshops and performances.
• Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona: Youth-focused casteller colla from Tarragona, host city of the Concurs de Castells. Directly comparable in size, structure, and community-led model; competes for ranking and offers similar services (workshops, performances, festival participation).
• Castellers de Sants: Barcelona neighborhood-based casteller colla (Sants) competing with CVG for local neighborhood identity, members, and Barcelona festival bookings. Same membership-based non-profit model and competitive performance tier.
• Castellers de la Sagrada Família: Another Barcelona-based casteller colla, one of the younger groups in the city. Direct competitor for members, workshops, and performances within the Barcelona cultural ecosystem; comparable community-led operational model.
• Xiquets de Tarragona: Historic Tarragona-based casteller colla with deep competitive history. Directly competes with CVG in rankings and shares the same fundamental business of castells training, performance, and cultural education. Comparable membership-driven non-profit structure.
• Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls: One of the oldest and most successful castells colles in Catalonia, founded in 1801. Directly competes with CVG in the Concurs de Castells and shares the same core product (human tower performances, workshops, and community events). The benchmark for top-tier Catalan castells performance.
• Capgrossos de Mataró: Mataró-based casteller colla with comparable size and performance level to CVG. The two colles regularly collaborate and compete at the same competitive tier, sharing the same operational model of community-led rehearsals, public performances, and cultural workshops.
• Castellers de Barcelona: Barcelona-based casteller colla operating in the same city as CVG. Direct competitor for local audience, municipal event bookings, and member recruitment within the same Barcelona casteller ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Castellers de Montreal: CVG's international goddaughter colla (colla fillola), based in Quebec, Canada. Operates the same castells tradition with a smaller membership base; represents CVG's international expansion model and recent Festival Complètement Cirque partner.

Others

• Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya: Industry association that coordinates and governs all casteller colles in Catalonia, referenced on CVG's website. Acts as the regulatory and competitive umbrella body for the sector, comparable to a trade association in the casteller ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castellersdelaviladegracia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia