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Arrive in Pamplona-Iruñe and check
into the hotel. Check-in time is 2:00 p.m.
(14:00). Be sure to check with us
regarding early or late arrivals.
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The
opening ceremony begins at noon
on 6 July with the firing of the
rockets, "el
chupinazo",
in the Town Hall Plaza, the Plaza
Consistorial de Pamplona. Join
the thousands as the fiesta
begins amid a sea of bright red
pañuelicos and a rain of
champagne to mark the start of
this 9-day event.
The crowd often spills over into
the Paseo de Sarasate and Plaza
del Castillo as tens of thousands
of celebrants await the countdown
to the beginning of the
fiesta.
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el chupinazo
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It's always "Bulls before Breakfast"
beginning on the 7th, a tradition unique
to Pamplona as breakfast is generally not
served until after the bulls have
run.
The
encierros, the "Running
of the
Bulls",
commence on 7 July at 08:00 and continue
each morning through the 14th, thus eight
days of the encierro.
On
the 7th the religious procession of
Pamplona's famed patron saint, San Fermin,
begins at the Capilla de San Fermin after
a 10:00 mass and slowly winds its way
through the narrow streets of the old city
accompanied by the official city band,
city dignitaries, hundreds of Pamplonicas
and the Gigantes and Cabequdos (giants and
big heads).
The
regular daily procession of the Gigantes y
Cabezudos begins at 09:30 each morning
starting on the 8th of July and finishes
up the afternoon of the 14th when the
children come to say good-bye for another
year.
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Come
and enjoy the music. The festival
offers everything from
traditional Basque folk music to
rock and jazz. Concerts begin at
noon daily in Plazas
Consistorial, Santa Cruz, San
Francisco, San Jose, Los Fueros
and in the Paseo de Sarasate,
continuing until the early
morning hours.
Special
concerts are held nightly in the
Plaza del Castillo, Parque Media
Luna, Park de Antoniutti (Basque
and Latin) and the Plaza de
Compañia (Jazz).
Performers in the past have
included Kepa Junkera (2002 &
2006) and Celia Cruz (2002),
Rosario and Carlinhos Brown
(2004)
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Childern's Day - 9
July
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There is dancing nightly in the Plaza del
Castillo, as well as special performances
by traditional Basque dance groups and
singers throughout the week. Children and
families are central to the fiesta and you
will find a number of special events daily
during the fiesta.
Traditional
Basque Rural Sports competitions (Force
Basque) are held daily at noon in the
Plaza de los Fueros.
Bullfights
begin promptly at 18:30 (6:30 PM). You
will need to be at the Plaza de Toros by
18:00 (6 PM). You will not be allowed into
the seating area after a fight has begun.
So don't be late and don't forget to bring
your wine and some food to share with your
friends and those around
you.
The
"Toro del Fuego" (bull of fire) appears at
the Plaza de Santiago, adjacent to the
Plaza Consistorial, every evening at 22:00
(10:00 PM).
There
is a nightly fireworks compitition at
23:00 (11:00 PM) in the Parque de la
Ciudadela which begins on 6 July. Each
night a different internationally know
group, invited by the city to compete for
the grand prize, puts on a display of
their best work in front of the crowd
filling the cities largest
park.
Restaurants
serve lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner
from 21:00 to 23:00. Meals are also
available at the food tents operated by
local clubs and communities which can be
found at both the Park Ciudadela and Park
Taconera. Ask us about restaurant
recommendations. Reservations are required
in advance during the
fiesta.
Our
special excursions lunches will be at
13:30 ( 1:30 PM) at a selected restaurant
outside of the city.
The
fiesta's closing event, the "pobre de mi",
a candlelight ceremony, takes place at
midnight on the 14th in the Plaza
Consistorial. Check with us regarding
reserving a private balcony for this final
event.
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