Fiesta de San Fermín

Fiesta de San Fermín, festival held annually in Pamplona, Spain, beginning at noon on July 6 and ending at midnight on July 14, honouring the city’s first bishop and patron saint, Saint Fermín.

The festival was originally observed on Saint Fermín’s feast day, September 25, but in 1592 the celebration was moved to July. Pamplona’s modern fiesta starts with fireworks called chupinazo at noon on July 6, followed by the singing of the traditional song “Pamploneses, Viva San Fermín, Gora San Fermín” (“People of Pamplona, Long Live Saint Fermín”). The best-known part of the festival is the running of the bulls, or the encierro. From July 7 to July 14 the bulls to be used in the daily bullfights are run through the streets of the town to the bullring. Both locals and tourists participate in the event, made famous in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. The bullfight, or corrida, is held every afternoon. In addition to the secular events, the Procession of Saint Fermín, a religious celebration, takes place the morning of July 7. Other events associated with the fiesta include the comparsa, a parade featuring large puppets carried by the marchers, as well as numerous parties and spontaneous gatherings. The festival ends on July 14 with the singing of “Pobre de Mi” (“Old Poor Me”).