One Poster Is Chosen Each Year for the Event

• The yearly San Fermin poster is selected through an annual competition among local artists.
• Artists submit their designs, from which 10 finalists are chosen by a committee.
• A final vote takes place on May 4th each year, with the winner revealed shortly after.
• Because of this competition, each year’s poster is unique, and they are exclusively available in Pamplona during the Fiesta, so don’t forget to grab one to take home!
• San Fermin posters are popular collectors’ items among Fans
• The tradition of the San Fermin a poster dates back to the 19th century.

The Run Is Actually Really Short

• The length of the run is only 875 meters (about half a mile).
• The entire run typically only lasts between 2 and 6 minutes.

The Festival Is Actually a Religious Event to Honor Saint Fermin

• The Fiesta is held to honor Saint Fermin, and his life and sacrifice.
• Saint Fermin was Pamplona’s first saint and its patron bishop.
• It was originally held in September to coincide with Saint Fermin’s Feast Day, the festival was moved to July due to better weather.
• The festival dates back to 1591.

The San Fermin International Fireworks Competition

• Each night during the festival, the San Fermin International Fireworks Competition takes place.
• Peña (social club of Pamplona) attempts to create the best firework show of the festival.
• Fireworks begin at 11:00 PM each night and typically last about 30 minutes.
• The fireworks are launched near Pamplona’s Hotel Ciudadela, so it’s recommended to get a good viewing spot by 10:30 PM.
• The Running of the Bulls also hosts an exclusive VIP event on select nights, featuring dinner and a private fireworks party at the Baluarte Performing Arts Center, where you can watch the fireworks from the rooftop.

The Parade of Giants (Los Gigantes)

• Each morning, the streets of Pamplona come alive with the Parade of Giants, where massive, colorful figures (gigantes) dance through the city.
• There are four sets of giants, each representing one of the continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, highlighting the festival’s universal appeal.
• This parade has been a tradition since the 16th century.

Ernest Hemingway helping build the Festival’s Global Popularity

• The Running of the Bulls became internationally famous, in part, due to its depiction in Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises.
• Hemingway visited Pamplona several times during the 1920s and was captivated by the bullfights.
• His first trip to San Fermin was in 1923, and his novel, published in 1926, helped draw a large American audience to the event, many people still visiti today to follow in his footsteps!

The Prized San Fermin Bulls

• The bulls that run during the festival are raised at ranches across Spain, under strict guidelines.
• These bulls are kept in large pastures where they rarely come into contact with humans.
• Each bull requires at least one and a half hectares of land.
• It is considered highly disrespectful to touch any of the bulls during the run.

Butchers Originally Started the Event

• The bull run originated with the butchers of Pamplona, who were responsible for moving bulls through the streets from the ranches to slaughter.
• Butchers began running in front of the bulls to speed up the Bulls, which eventually turned into a competition.
• Over time, locals joined in, leading to the modern-day tradition of the bull runs.

Women Were Once Not Allowed to Run

• On July 1, 1867, a law was passed making the bull runs male-only.
• Women were officially allowed to participate again in 1974, though no women chose to run that year.
• In 1975, Mariví Mendiburu and Alicia Rivas became the first women to take part in the Running of the Bulls.

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