Bull Running in Spain

Ernest Hemingway attended the San Fermín festival in Pamplona for the first time in 1923 and came back nearly every year until 1959. His 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises turned Pamplona into an internationally known destination, and the festival has been managing the resulting attention ever since. The Encierro – the Running of the Bulls – is eight days, July 6-14, 8am every morning, 850 metres of cobblestoned old-town street from the Santo Domingo corrals to the bullring. Six bulls, up to ten steers, and however many runners.

The bulls weigh 400-700 kilograms and run at 24 kilometres per hour. The run lasts approximately 3 minutes. Goring injuries happen most years; fatalities are rare but not unknown (16 deaths since records began in 1910).

If You Want to Run

This is a defensible choice for adults who understand the risk and make it as informed participants rather than tourists who don’t read the safety briefings. Running intoxicated is prohibited and dangerous; many injuries involve runners who fell because they were drinking. The rules: you must be over 18, sober, and running in the direction of the bulls. Do not run directly ahead of the herd; run alongside and duck into doorways or barriers when the bulls pass. Get to the route well before 7:30am; positions close. Wear the traditional white and red – you’ll be hard to help if you’re dressed differently from the crowd.

The official Pamplona City Council safety briefing is available in multiple languages and is worth reading before you decide.

Watching

Watching from the barriers is the alternative. Positions along the route fill from 6am. Permanent seats in the bullring give the clearest view of the run’s finish, though the view along the street is obstructed by distance.

The Festival Beyond the Run

San Fermín is eight days of continuous festivity. The Chupinazo on July 6th at noon fires the opening rocket from the Plaza del Castillo; the red neckerchief comes on and doesn’t come off. The festival runs on almost no sleep, which is the experience visitors either embrace or find overwhelming. Daily bullfights happen at 6:30pm in the Plaza de Toros. Nightly concerts and street parties continue into the early hours.

Pamplona Outside the Festival

The old town (Casco Viejo) is worth visiting regardless of whether you come for the festival. The Cathedral of Santa María (14th-15th century Gothic, with Renaissance cloisters) and the city’s medieval walls are the primary monuments. The pintxos culture is excellent: small bar snacks with a glass of Rioja or local wine, working your way down Calle Estafeta or through the old town’s bars in the early evening.

Getting There

Pamplona airport has connections from Madrid and Barcelona. High-speed rail from Madrid takes 1.5-2 hours. Book accommodation at least 6 months ahead for any July date; everything fills for the festival and prices rise significantly.