San Fermin 2026: A first-timer's guide to Spain's bull-running festival

Each July, the quiet Spanish city of Pamplona turns into one of the loudest parties on Earth.

San Fermin 2026 runs from July 6 to 14, and here’s how a first-timer does it right.

When and where San Fermin 2026 happens

San Fermin is held in Pamplona, the capital of Navarre in northern Spain, and the dates never change. 

The fiesta always runs from July 6 to 14, so 2026 is a Monday-to-Tuesday stretch of nine days and eight nights.

It honours Saint Fermin, a local patron saint, but most of the city’s energy goes into the street parties, music and the famous bull runs. The action is packed into the cobbled old town (Casco Viejo), so almost everything happens within a short walk.

Here are the anchor moments to plan your trip around.

The events a first-timer shouldn’t miss

The bull run gets the headlines, but San Fermin is a whole festival. These are the moments that bookend the days and give the fiesta its rhythm.

The Chupinazo opening

At noon on 6 July, a crowd crams into the Plaza Consistorial (Town Hall square) and a rocket called the chupinazo is fired from the Town Hall balcony. That single bang officially starts the fiesta.

This is the moment everyone ties their red neckerchief around their neck for the first time. 

Expect to be soaked in cava (sparkling wine), water and sangria, so wear clothes you don’t mind ruining and leave valuables at your accommodation.

Get into the square well before 11 am if you want to be inside it, as access is closed once it fills up.

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Evenings, fireworks and the penas

Once the morning bull run is over, the city shifts into a 12-hour party. Marching social clubs called penas fill the streets with brass bands, and a nightly fireworks competition lights up the sky over the Ciudadela fortress park.

There are also daytime giants-and-big-heads parades that are genuinely family-friendly, plus the religious procession of San Fermin on July 7.

You do not need a ticket for any of this; it happens in the open streets.

The Pobre de mi finale

The fiesta closes at midnight on 14 July back in the Town Hall square. Thousands hold a lit candle and sing Pobre de mi (“Poor me, the fiesta of San Fermin has ended”).

It is the emotional opposite of the chupinazo: quiet, a little tearful, and the cue to finally untie the red neckerchief for another year.

How the running of the bulls works

The encierro happens every morning from July 7 to 14 at 8am. 

Six fighting bulls and a group of steers are released to run a route of roughly 849 metres through the old town, from the Santo Domingo corrals to the bullring (Plaza de Toros).

It is over fast. The whole run usually lasts only two to four minutes, passing up Santo Domingo, across the Town Hall square, then along Mercaderes and the long, narrow Estafeta street into the arena.

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The four rockets to listen for

Rockets tell everyone what is happening, because most of the crowd cannot see the bulls until they pass. According to the Pamplona City Hall encierro guide, the signals run in order:

• First rocket: the corral gate is open and the bulls are out.
• Second rocket: all six bulls have left the corral.
• Third rocket: the bulls have entered the bullring.
• Fourth rocket: all bulls are safely penned and the run is over.

If you only want to watch, the bullring fills up for the morning, and balconies along the route are rented out privately. Both give you a view without stepping onto the course.

Running with the bulls: The rules and the real risk

Running is free and needs no ticket, but it is genuinely dangerous, not a staged show. Between 50 and 100 people are injured most years, and the run has caused deaths. 

Treat the decision seriously before you commit.

The encierro is governed by a city by-law. The official San Fermin rules set out who can run and what is banned.

• You must be 18 or over. Minors are completely prohibited from the course.
• No alcohol or drugs. You cannot enter the route drunk or otherwise impaired.
• Do not provoke the bulls. Calling, touching, harassing or blocking the animals is forbidden.
• Stay off barriers and out of doorways. Crossing police fences or hiding in corners before the release is not allowed.
• No photos from the route. Running with a phone or camera in hand is banned.

Get to your starting area early; access to the course is closed before 8am and latecomers are turned away. 

If you are unsure, watch first: most first-timers spend their first morning learning the route from a balcony or the ring before deciding whether to run at all.

If you fall, stay down. The official advice is to lie still and cover your head with your hands, and not get up until the herd has passed and someone taps your shoulder. 

Bulls usually step over a motionless runner; standing up puts you back in their path.

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What to wear: The red and white explained

San Fermin has an unofficial uniform, and wearing it is half the fun. The look is simple and cheap to assemble, and you will see it on almost everyone in the city.

• White shirt and white trousers: the base of the outfit, head to toe.
• Red faja: a long red sash, about 2.5 metres, wrapped around the waist.
• Red panuelo: a red neckerchief tied at the throat.

The custom is to tie the pañuelo on only after the chupinazo at noon on July 6, then keep it on until the closing on July 14. 

Market stalls and shops all over Pamplona sell the full set, so you can buy it once you arrive rather than packing it.

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How to Get to Pamplona and where to stay

Check your entry rules before you book. Spain is in the Schengen Area, so if your nationality needs a Schengen visa, apply early through the Spanish consulate or its visa centre in your country, as summer slots fill fast.

Travellers who already enter Europe visa-free won’t need the new ETIAS travel authorisation for a 2026 summer trip, as it is still being phased in. 

Always confirm your own status first.

Pamplona’s own airport (PNA) is small, with direct flights mainly from Madrid and Barcelona. Most international visitors route through a bigger hub first.

• Via Madrid: fly into Madrid, then take the high-speed AVE train to Pamplona in about three hours. Good for arrivals from Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
• Via Bilbao: fly into Bilbao and travel on by bus or car in around one-and-a-half to two hours. Often the easiest hop from within Europe.

Accommodation is the part that catches first-timers out. Hotels in Pamplona sell out months ahead and prices climb sharply for the fiesta, so book as early as you can.

If the city is full or over budget, many visitors stay in nearby towns or even base themselves in Bilbao and travel in for the morning run. 

Whatever you book, confirm it covers the exact nights of July 6 to 14.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to watch the running of the bulls?

Watching is far safer than running. The bullring and rented balconies along the route keep you off the course entirely. Standing behind the double fencing on the street is also an option, though spots fill very early.

Can women run with the bulls?

Yes. The only fixed requirement to take part is being 18 and over and following the safety rules; the run is open to any adult.

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This article was first published in Wego.