This footage was filmed and produced 13 February 2022.

Crowds gathered in Barcelona's historic downtown to watch in awe and snap cellphone photos as teams of people in colorful garb formed human towers rising into the air like the spires on the nearby medieval cathedral. After two years of canceled or muted celebrations due to the pandemic, this Mediterranean city went all-out this past weekend to mark the Feb. 12 feast, or "festa" in the Catalan language, of its longest-celebrated patron.

Dozens of "castellers," or group members, stand packed tightly together, compressing every inch of their bodies into each other to form a base. Progressively lighter-weight members then climb up to establish six or more human tiers until they form a support for the top performer, a young child wearing a mandatory helmet — and, this year, a KN95 face mask.