running of the bulls
Quick Summary
The Fiesta de San Fermín is an annual festival held in Pamplona, Spain, from July 6 to July 14. It honors Saint Fermín, the city's patron saint. The festival is most famous for the running of the bulls, known as the encierro.
Each morning from July 7 to July 14, bulls are run through the city's streets to the bullring. Approximately 2,000 people participate in this event, which covers a 875-meter course. While injuries are common, fatalities are rare, with 15 recorded deaths since 1910. The festival also includes daily bullfights, parties, and religious processions. The tradition was popularized by Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. Animal rights activists have protested the festival due to the stress and death inflicted upon the bulls.1234
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Pamplona…each morning by the famous encierro—“enclosing”—or, more commonly, “running” of the bulls, when they are driven through the streets behind crowds of skillfully dodging men and boys.
Read More…each morning by the famous encierro—“enclosing”—or, more commonly, “running” of the bulls, when they are driven through the streets behind crowds of skillfully dodging men and boys.
Read More
Fiesta de San Fermín…running of the bulls (encierro).
Read More…running of the bulls (encierro).
Read More