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Thousands of revellers erupted in celebration and traditional “chupinazo” fireworks were lit to kick off the San Fermin Bull Festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona, ending a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The rain didn’t dampen the atmosphere, as nearly everyone, dressed in traditional white trousers and shirts with red belts and scarves, packed the small town hall square for the midday event.
After the fireworks exploded, revellers continued to spray red wine at each other.
The highlight of the nine-day festival is the early morning ‘encierros’, the bull run that begins on Thursday, as thousands of thrill seekers frantically scramble to avoid the six bulls and rush down a winding cobblestone route towards the city bullring.
Spectators watched the game from balconies and wooden barricades were set up on the pitch. The rest of the day is spent eating, drinking, dancing and cultural entertainment.
The bulls used in the run are killed by professional bullfighters every afternoon in the bullfights in the city ring.
The festival is made famous by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. It has not been suspended since the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, before the pandemic prevented it from taking place in 2020 and 2021.
Pamplona’s balloon population is around 200,000, reaching almost 1 million on peak days during the festival, especially on weekends, including many foreigners. Many tourists don’t stop partying through the night or sleeping anywhere outside.
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