Tens of thousands of revellers packed the main square in Pamplona in northern Spain on Sunday to celebrate as the San Fermin bull-running festival kicked off.
This year’s edition officially began with the Chupinazo firework blast, a symbolic tradition dating back to the early 20th century, this time dedicated to the Palestinian cause.
Dyna Kharrat, Lidón Soriano, and Eduardo Ibero were in charge of giving the chupinazo (fireworks) by the Yala Nafarroa platform, the chosen platform from Navarre, which brings together 225 collectives and more than 1,700 people “to fight against genocide and occupation and for a free Palestine.”
“Pamplonesas, pamploneses, viva San Fermín! “Iruindarrak, Gora San Fermín!” was the chant, followed by that of “Free Palestine, long live free Palestine,” which they proclaimed before launching the chupinazo.
Pamplona’s mayor, Joseba Asirón, had previously described the fiestas as “marvellous madness.” Asirón added about the choice of Yala Nafarroa for this year’s chupinazo: “Pamplona, even at the sweetest time of the year, does not forget that in other parts of the world a real genocide is taking place.”
Nearly everyone, including the throngs of foreign tourists who came to the event, was dressed in the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with a red sash and neckerchief.
A massive spectacle
More than 25,000 people gathered in the streets of Pamplona to experience this historic moment, with more than 14,000 gathered specifically in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
The atmosphere was described as “indescribable” by the witnesses present, while the sea of red handkerchiefs fluttered in the wind after the rocket was fired.
Pamplona pyrotechnician Andrea López Lana was, for the seventh consecutive year, technically responsible for the chupinazo through her company Pirotecnia Fiesta.
The rocket, which contained 20 grams of gunpowder, sounded punctually from the balcony of the town hall, a tradition that has been maintained since 1941, when it was moved from the Plaza del Castillo.
Reinforced security and guaranteed services
Despite the indefinite strike called by Pamplona’s local urban transport company, the 70% minimum services operated “without incident,” guaranteeing the mobility of those attending the event.
The local police had set up security filters from 10:00 local time in the five streets leading to the square, checking that no one was carrying dangerous objects such as glass bottles or umbrellas. The National Police have stated that they have reinforced the Pamplona detachment for the Sanfermines 2025 with almost 1,000 officers.
The City Council had previously announced an increase in street vigilance during the afternoons and evenings of the fiestas and implemented, as a novelty, an “alert button” on city buses.
The festive programme gets off to a strong start
After the chupinazo, the city was immediately immersed in the festive programme. At around 13:30 local time, the folklore festival begins in the Plaza de los Fueros with performances by 14 traditional dance groups, including Amaiur, Ardantzeta, Basakaitz, and DanTXaldi.
The afternoon will continue with the departure of the Giants and Big-heads from the bus station at 17:00, followed by the bullfight in the Bullring at 18:30.
The solemn vespers of San Fermín will take place at 20:00 in the chapel of the saint in the church of San Lorenzo, with the participation of the Cathedral’s Music Chapel and the Symphonic Orchestra of Navarre.
Hotel occupancy reached record highs, with a forecast of 83% during the nine days of the fiestas, confirming once again the international appeal of the Sanfermines.
The first show of the 24th International Fireworks Competition will close the day at 23:00 with “Fantaisies scéniques” by the French pyrotechnics company F.C. Pyro, while music will take over on various stages around the city until the early hours of the morning and the first running of the bulls of 2025, with the Fuente Ymbro bulls.
Bullfighting still a controversial sport
The nine-day festival is famed for its “encierros,” or bull runs, which, starting on Monday, will see thousands of people sprint to avoid six bulls charging along a winding cobblestoned route to the city’s bullring.
Bullfighting is a hugely divisive sport that has been widely condemned by animal rights activists. It is illegal in most countries and banned in parts of Mexico, but remains legal in Spain.
On Saturday, protesters from PETA and Anima Naturalis demonstrated in Pamplona, ahead of the annual bull run at the San Fermin festival.
Wearing horns and fake blood, they marched through the city in northern Spain to demonstrate against the sport.
Despite the controversy surrounding bullfighting and protests by animal rights campaigners, over time, the San Fermin festival has evolved into a spectacle that captivates people globally.
The festival draws approximately one million attendees from over 80 countries, making it a global cultural phenomenon.
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