Basic tips for visiting Pamplona Bull Run Festival

Held annually from July 6th to July 14th, the world famous Pamplona bull run is also known as San Firmin Festival.

Immortalized in Ernest Hemingway’s novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’, this traditional Pamplona fiesta is one of the most popular events in Spain and the Basque Country. Though the daily morning ‘encierro‘ – the Running of the Bulls – is the main attraction, Pamplona San Firmin festival also features six afternoon bullfights, traditional Basque music and jazz concerts, dance, firework displays, religious processions, street theater and street markets.

Every year, the crazy spirit and atmosphere of the ‘encierros‘ attract about one million Spanish and foreign tourists alike. If you want to beat the crowd and visit Pamplona for the San Firmin fiesta you have to plan your holiday in the Spanish Basque Country in advance.

• Where and when to book your hotel for Pamplona bull run?

Looking for an accommodation in Pamplona for the famous city bull racing festival and wondering when to make your reservation? Consider booking your hotel about twelve months in advance. So, if you don’t want to miss the next Pamplona bull race book your hotel in Pamplona right now.

To celebrate San Firmin in the heart of Pamplona Old Town venere.com recommends the Sercotel Hotel Leyre :

Member of the Sercotel hotel chain, the Leyre enjoys an excellent location in Pamplona old town, just opposite the Reina Sofia Art Museum, very close to Pamplona bullring, and only a few blocks from Plaza del Castillo and Plaza de Toros, the very heart of the fiesta. In addition to comfortable guest rooms, hotel facilities include a bar, a TV lounge and a meeting room. The Sercotel Leyre is a great Pamplona hotel if you travel on a moderate budget and want to explore the capital city of the Basque Country on foot.

If it is too late to find a hotel room in Pamplona or if you want to spend the night away from the noisy San Firmin celebrations, another solution is to book an accommodation in Vitoria, then head to Pamplona by bus early in the morning. If you are traveling by car or don’t mind taking a night train you can also book a hotel in San Sebastian.

• How to buy bullfight tickets?

With a capacity for 14,000 people, Pamplona bullring is the second largest bullring in Spain right after the famous Madrid Monumental de las Ventas. Like in the rest of the country, bullfight events are extremely popular and the sign ‘No hay billetes‘ (sold out) has been hung up at the ticket windows of Pamplona bullring in the last 30 years.

Indeed, it is not possible to purchase bullfight tickets online and extremely difficult to buy them in Pamplona, as 90% of the bullring seats are reserved for season ticket holders. La Meca (Santa Casa de Misericordia de Pamplona) – the charity institution that organizes Pamplona bullfights -allows the rest of the remaining 10% to be sold from 6.30 pm the evening prior to the day’s bullfight until the morning of the fight itself.

Do not buy scalped tickets: Ticket scalping is illegal and the Spanish police are often hanging out around Pamplona bullring. In addition, scalped tickets are sold at crazy prices, up to twice the price of tickets purchased at the official ticket booths.

• Where to find tips and information on Pamplona bull race and bull fights?

During the festival of San Firmin, the ‘encierro’ starts every morning at 8 am. Running down 0.5 mile of cobbled streets in Pamplona Old Town, it is an extremely dangerous race. Every year between 200 and 300 people get injured while participating in the Running of the Bulls and 15 have been killed since 1924.

Injuries are often due to inexperience of tourists who take miscalculated risks, so if you want to be part of the action and run with the bulls, visit the website of the Council of Pamplona to get useful bull run tips. Available in English, they include basic prohibitions and security warnings, practical information on the race route, rules and schedule, as well as tips on how to take part in the run and what to do for watching the bull run festival.

For further information on Pamplona bull run and bullfights visit the Council of Pamplona’s website.

Photo of bull running in the streets of Pamplona, Spain originally posted by Eneko Alonso

Topic:  Tips and Ideas | 1 Comment
Tags:  culture, festivals, Spain