When does the San Fermin Fiesta take place?
The San Fermin Festival is celebrated in Pamplona from the 6th to the 14th of July every year. On the 6th the Fiesta opens with the Txupinazo, the fireworks rocket that is set off from the balcony of the Town Hall at 12 o'clock midday to announce the start of the Festival. From this point on it's non-stop action until midnight of the 14th when the Pobre de Mí (the closing act of the Festival) is announced from the same Town Hall balcony.
Can I buy an extra day for a spot on the VIP Balcony?
Yes, all of our tours include one day on our VIP Balcony located on the bull route. We will offer extra spaces to our clients or you can sign up when you book your tour.
Where is Pamplona? How do I get there?
Pamplona is the capital of Navarra and has a population of around 200,000. It is about 50 miles from the Pyrenees and the Spanish-French border and around 250 miles north of Madrid. Pamplona has an airport with daily flights from Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Bilbao, Zaragoza and Vitoria are other cities that receive international flights and have decent road transportation (buses or rental car) to arrive in Pamplona. Train travel from Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastian are also very convenient to arrive in Pamplona. Please refer to www.renfe.come for information on Spain’s national train service. Train travel during the festival is extremely busy and it is advisable to book tickets in advance to ensure a seat. The train journey between Madrid and Pamplona is about 3 and ½ hours and is 4 hours by car. The train journey between Barcelona and Pamplona is about 6 hours.
Is there really a Running of the Nudes?
Yes, the Running of the Nudes is held on the day before the official opening day of the festival. Animal Rights activists were little more than white underwear or thongs, red scarves, and plastic bullhorns as they march through the streets protesting the perceived animal cruelty of San Fermin. We didn’t see anyone completely nude; most everyone at least covered their privates. This is a serious cause, but it appeared many ‘protesters’ were also in Pamplona for San Fermin itself and found it liberating to strip off their clothes and have a good time on the streets of Pamplona.
What is the official costume of San Fermin? Do people actually dress up?
The official San Fermin costume is a white shirt, white pants/skirt, a red sash, and a red neck-scarf. Yes, everyone wears white and red during the entire fiesta. Trust us, you will feel more foolish if you don’t dress up! There are booths and stores all around the city that sell cheap white pants and shirts, as well as scarves that will allow you to dress with the rest of them. We found pants for around 6 Euros and shirts for 4 Euros last year!
Remember that these clothes are going to get very dirty and drenched with sangria during the bull-fight and if you attend the Chupinazo so you’ll need a few replacement outfits unless you’ll be getting your laundry cleaned. We recommend that you wear comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Even though it is summer, do not wear sandals downtown. Shards of glass cover the ground and you don’t want to spend your days or nights in the emergency room getting stitches!
Do women run with the bulls?
Women do run with the bulls, however, the majority of participants are men. Locals may look surprised if you are a woman running because it is considered a macho act for men to run, but not for women. With that being said, men or women participants must be prepared to take care of themselves on the course. The fear of a bull chasing someone takes away any sort of chivalry a woman may expect from a man.
When does the bull-running take place? Is it necessary to sign-up somewhere if you want to run in it?
The first bull-running take places on the morning of the 7th of July at 8:00 a.m. (yes, A.M!) and then each successive morning up to and including the 14th.
There's no need to sign-up anywhere. It's simply a matter of walking inside the fencing about an hour before the running of the bulls starts (before the fencing is closed) and waiting for the rocket to go off (that signifies they've let the bulls out). The important thing is simply to be sure you want to run and to be conscious and considerate of the other runners so that you don't disturb them through any reckless misbehavior. If you're set on running, talk to one of our guides who have run in the past.
It's very important that you go to the right place at the Town Hall. In recent years, the Bull Run has been overcrowded and the cops come by a few minutes early and removed people who thought they were going to run. Our guides can help you with this information once you get to Pamplona.
What's the typical age of your customer?
Ludus Tours doesn't specifically cater to any age group, nor do we have any restrictions. For Pamplona 2007, we had an 18 year-old high school graduate (traveling with his father) and two separate men over the age of 75 (not together). That being said, the majority of our clients are between the ages of 30-45 years old. Here are some photos of last year's crew.
What is the Chupinazo on July 6th?
At 12:00 midday every July 6th, the square in front of the Town Hall witnesses the chaos when the San Fermín Fiesta literally takes off with a bang! This moment is marked by a rocket (the "Chupinazo"), which announces the start of the Fiesta.
All morning, crowds pack in like sardines at the Plaza Ayuntamiento. The passion and intensity grows every minute until it reaches a the culmination at noon.
At that point the Mayor and members of the Council step out onto the balconies of the Town Hall to greet the crowds. A nominated person shouts the announcement; "Pamploneses, Pamplonesas, Viva San Fermín! Gora San Fermín!" (people of Pamplona, long live San Fermín!) The crowd responds with cries of "Viva!" and "Gora!" and the rocket is launched into the sky. At this moment the square erupts as hundreds of bottles of champagne are uncorked and sprayed all over the crowd.
Please note that this is kind of an intense event. There is a lot of pushing back and forth and it's quite uncomfortable in the actual Town Hall Square.
This is my first time to San Fermines...what are the things that shouldn't be missed?
Good choice coming with Ludus Tours. There are lots of things going on each day and it's difficult to say what would be the most interesting. The first would be the Txupinazo, one of the most emotional moments that symbolizes the opening of the Fiesta. This can also get a bit crazy, however. Another great event would have to be the bull-running. Watch it from our balcony to get a great view of the action. Here is where the multitude gather in the narrow central streets of the town to run before the pack of bulls and lead them up to the bull-ring. Don't miss the parade of the giants and their consorts every morning through the streets of the city; is a wonderful spectacle for children.
And in the afternoon you’ll see the same bulls in action in the ring at the bullfights. But even if you have no interest in bull-fighting, the scene on the terraces is a spectacle in itself and is certainly one of the highlights of the fiesta.
The fact is, the real spectacle of the San Fermin Festival is what is happening each day and night on the streets where there are all sorts of things worth seeing. The "Peñas Sanfermineras" or social clubs, are usually the protagonists of the night life with their bands of music as they march around the streets of the old part of town. After the bull-fights they provide a raucous spectacle as they parade out of the bull-ring in unison and slowly head back to their club premises. The final act of the Fiesta, The Pobre de Mí is very emotional and a must for most people, though for some it is a depressing moment and best ignored. In any case, it seems to be getting more and more popular among many people to prolong the Festival well into the morning of the 15th. Some of them will go to the street where the bull-pen is found and, although there are now no bulls, they will run in front of the 8 o'clock bus..
Where can the San Fermin Poster and The Feria de Toro Poster be found?
San Fermin Poster is printed and published by the Town Hall the same as the official program, and these are available from the book stores or in the Tourism Office. The Yoar distributor also sends it with a policy of payment on receipt by calling telephone (+34) 948 30 22 39 or by sending a fax to 948 30 27 08. The Feria de Toro poster is printed and published by La Casa de Misericordia (better known as “La Meca).
