The San Fermin festival kicks off on July 6th with El Chupinazo, the festival’s opening ceremony. Although it is a bit more expensive to stay in Pamplona for the first dates of the festival (July 6 – 8), we STRONGLY recommend attending the opening ceremony.
It is the wildest party during the Running of the Bulls and starts at NOON on July 6th. It takes place in the Plaza del Castillo. Every inch of the square is gradually filled by a massive crowd that begins to trickle in early in the morning and continues to gather force until noon when the palpable energy and excitement reaches its peak. At that point, the mayor of Pamplona gives a rousing speech from the balcony of the Town Hall to the enthusiastic crowd below and fires a rocket to officially start the festival.
Thousands of spectators then raise traditional red bandanas (pañuelicos) above their heads, which are worn by almost everyone all week long and are sold on nearly every street corner. Madness ensues as merrymakers pop open bottles of champagne and wine, spraying their neighbors with foam, pouring wine on their heads, and just getting downright messy. The cheering, singing, and general melee thus sets the tone for the week’s festivities.
If you are planning to attend El Chupinazo, we recommend arriving in Pamplona on July 5th. Most flights or trains will not get you into the city early enough to attend the event plus we recommend getting to the Plaza del Castillo early to get a good spot. Keep in mind that we can also provide a VIP Balcony for this event. TGW Travel Group offers packages to one of the wildest parties in the world – The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Check out our package and get a price quote for the next Running of the Bulls event!