San Fermin Festival (Running Of The Bulls)
Country: Spain
When: 6th-14th July every year
The San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain is well known for its famous running of the bulls. The seven-day festival is held in honour of Saint Fermin, with the famous bull running occurring every morning at 8am. The festival has been a tradition in Pamplona since the 14th century.
The tradition initially evolved from the daily necessity of getting the bulls from one end of town to the market. It is now the process used for moving the bulls to the bullring for each afternoon’s bull-fighting entertainment. The highlight of the event is the patron saint’s day, the seventh day of the festival.
Traditionally, the running of the bulls is a way for local men (and foreigners) to display their courage by running alongside or as close as possible to the bulls as they charge down the narrow streets of Pamplona. The run ends at the Pamplona bullfighting ring, which was constructed in 1852. The run itself lasts about 15 to 20mins
A San Fermin Festival tradition is to dress in white clothing with a splash of red – most commonly a red handkerchief or scarf worn around the neck or as belt around the waist. Sometimes red hats are worn. If you are heading to the Festival, it is important to dress in white.
Spaniard’s do party hard over the duration of his Festival and often do not sleep for days at a time. You will eat plenty of paella and tapas and drink lots of sangria – traditional food and drink for the festival.
Festival Videos
Key highlights
- Opening Ceremony and firing of the ‘Chupinazo’ – a rocket which launches the festival.
- San Fermin Procession – on the 7th of July, is the procession of the 15th century statue of San Fermin through the old medieval part of Pamplona.
- El Struendo – ‘the Great Roar’ is where people gather one day (changes every year) to make as much noise as possible. Drums, whistles, clapping, banging of pots and pans – if it makes a noise, it will be utilised.
- Pobre de mi – On the last day of the festival at midnight, participants gather in the Pamplona Townhall Plaza. They sing the traditional ‘Pobre de mi’ song, light candles and take off the red handkerchiefs to signal the end of the festival.
- Parade of Giants and Big Heads – a daily occurrence with a parade of giant figurines with people inside which chase people all around the parade route.
- Nightly fireworks
- Daily bullfights staged in the afternoon, with the running of the bulls through the streets each morning at 8am.
Where is it
Pamplona is situated in the Navarra providence, northern Spain.
How to get there
Fly into Bilbo Airport and then drive or catch a bus from there to Pamplona. The trip from airport to city will take you about 1.5 hours.
If you stay in San Sebastian, then commuting into Pamplona will take an hour. Choosing this option eliminates your availability to see or participate on the running of the bulls at 8am (as first bus leaves at 7:15am).
You can catch a train from Barcelona, which will take about 4 hours. A train journey from Madrid will take 3 hours. Driving or taking a bus will take approximately 6 or 5 hours from either location respectively. The cost of the train ticket will be around the 70 EURO mark. Overnight sleeper trains are available as well.
Where to stay
In Spain a ‘pension’ is a shared room in a house and is a popular form of accommodation. You rent the room with the landlord or owner of the house/apartment generally living in at the same time. You are simply renting space in the room – no food or breakfast is included.
Hostels are very popular with travellers both in Pamplona and in nearby towns. If you are planning to be in Pamplona for a few nights, it is best to book well in advance. Be aware that rates will be higher in this peak period.
Many of the locals leave Pamplona during the San Fermin festival period so often apartments become available. This is a good accommodation for groups of travellers. Apartments situated along the running route are a great way to watch all the action.
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If you want to party all night and have a great vantage point for the bull-run, the best option is to rent a spot on a balcony. This can be great value for money and it is good to know the bulls can’t jump that high!
Caravan parks in Pamplona are a cheap option, but locations outside the city centre mean you will need to organise bus transport into the event. Keep in mind that public transport can be a little ‘hit and miss’ at 6am. Remember to think ahead to secure a good spot along the running route as the best viewing locations get snapped up quickly.
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Book your accommodation in San Sebastian. This beautiful seaside town is about 85km from Pamplona. Its medieval city centre is crammed with shops and tapas bars and is close to Bilbo airport. The harbor is beautiful and there are great seafood bargains to be found. Accommodation is also available more cheaply than in Pamplona. You can travel into Pamplona the night before and stay up all night partying with the Spanish as they celebrate the San Fermin Festival – in all its red and white splendor.