History background and Today reality

The tradition is said to have come from practicality when, in 1591 residents merely had to herd the bulls to the bull-fighting arena. At first only the drovers were used to lead the bulls. But it seems that at some date, the butchers guild, who had the responsibility of buying the bulls, began to join in with the drovers and began to chase behind the bulls and heifers up to the bull-ring from Santo Domingo street - the starting point of the run.

As time passed the event became more and more popular and some people began to run in front of the bulls and not behind them, as the drovers do. In 1852, a new bull-ring was built and a new route - becoming much shorter also, because as from 1899, it was decided to bring the bulls up to a small corral in Santo Domingo street the night before they fight in the ring.

Originally only a few daring souls ran with the bulls but the adrenaline rush of running in front of a 1500lb bull has since caught on. People now journey from all around the world to run with the bulls.

To watch the running of the bulls Pamplona it’s essential to arrive at around 6 am. The best places to watch the Pamplona Bull Run is near the starting point around the Plaza Santo Domingo or the wall leading to the bullring. If you have the stamina and guts to participate in the running of the bulls Pamplona, remember that every year someone gets hurt or killed. So, after you’ve propped up your courage with a shot of Pacharan — the local moonshine — head to the starting point at Plaza Santo Domingo, where at a few minutes to eight the course is opened and you can take your preferred place along the route.

Two rockets are fired to signal that the Pamplona bull run has begun—and to signal your heart to start beating at twice its normal rate! The first rocket signals that the bullpen has been opened, the second means that all the bulls are running. As soon as the first rocket takes flight you can start running, but if you navigate the course at the head of the pack and arrive in the stadium well before the bulls, you will be met with a chorus of lusty boos from the spectators waiting in the stadium. If you wait until the second rocket you are more likely to get closer to the bulls. Just remember if you try to escape the course before the encierro is over you’ll be pushed right back into the streets.

The Pamplona Bull Run isn’t the only thing to see or do during the week. Other events during the week include live music, nightly fireworks and daily bullfights at 6:30 pm (with the bulls that ran in the morning). Tickets are expensive and touts do their best to take both the arm and the leg that you tried so hard to keep away from the horns of the bulls that morning. Don’t expect to find accommodations during the running of the bulls Pamplona unless you have booked well in advance, because during San Fermin the town is overflowing and most tourists are happy (and perhaps drunk enough) to sleep in the parks or on verandahs.