Pamplona (EFE) to the covid-19 pandemic.
After the recovery, albeit with precautions, of the Sanfermines in 2021 after two years of suspension due to the pandemic, these will already be holidays marked by a return to normality, except for the fact that they are going to be held in the middle of the campaign to the July 23 elections.
Thus, if at 12:00 on July 6 the president of Osasuna, Luis Sabalza, will light the fuse of the chupinazo announcing the festivities, twelve hours later an electoral campaign will begin that for the first time will coincide in part with the Sanfermines.
The street, the true protagonist
For yet another year, the street will be the main setting for the San Fermín festivities from July 6 to 14, dates on which 542 official acts have been programmed, 300 of them of a musical nature, both concerts in the Plaza de los Fueros , that of the Castle or that of Compañía as well as street performances with pipers, txistularis, rondallas or bands.
There will be no shortage of performances at the parties by well-known artists such as Ana Mena, Dani Fernández, Ana Torroja or Fangoria, music in Basque with ETS, rap by Lágrimas de Sangre or trap by Funzo & Baby Loud.
But not all are events designed for adults, since children can also enjoy 145 activities organized for them, among which, as every year, the Comparsa de Gigantes y Cabezudos stands out, which this year moves its farewell to the widest Plaza del Castillo, where they will also carry out “a singular show”.
Everything is ready for the holidays
Practically everything is already prepared in the city for the festivities. The confinement fence is already in place, 800 reinforcement bins are placed in the most visited areas of the city, green areas are being fenced off preventively and toilets connected to the service networks have been installed in 18 points, in addition to the ‘ truck’ of toilets in Plaza del Castillo and the 20 chemical toilets.
The different stage structures for the concerts are also being assembled and, in some places, elements of street furniture are being removed. And in the Plaza Consistorial the public address system that will accompany the chupinazo, the running of the bulls and Poor Me has been set up.
Likewise, the bulls, the great protagonists of the Sanfermines, continue to arrive at the Gas corrals, the fair stalls finish their assembly and the white clothing stores supply last-minute customers with clothes. Anti-slip has also begun to be applied in certain sections of the running of the bulls and this year, as a novelty, also in some points of the running of the bulls.
The Department of Health, for its part, has already prepared the operation to care for those injured in the running of the bulls. There will be a total of 9 health posts, one every 50 meters along the route. They will be attended by more than 90 professionals, with 16 ambulances.
A total of 350 volunteers make up the sanitary device that the Red Cross has organized for these Sanfermines.
Bull Fair, fireworks, security… Everything ready
The Bull Fair, organized by the House of Mercy in Pamplona, offers a varied poster in which only the Peruvian right-hander Andrés Roca Rey repeats. With a budget of 4.4 million euros, 60% of it goes to matadors and 40% to cattle ranches.
One of the most massive events of all Sanfermines is the International Fireworks Competition, in which three foreign companies compete this year: Ciels en Fête pyrotechnics, from France, Fireworks Ugo Lieto Events, from Italy, and Pyrogenie Feuerwerk GmbH, from Germany.
In addition, there are three Valencian companies in the production of the shots of the participating people: Mediterranean Fireworks, Tamarit Pyrotechnics and Valencian Pyrotechnics. They are joined by a company from Castellón, Pirotecnia Zarzoso; one from the Canary Islands, Pirotecnia San Miguel; and another from A Coruña, Pirotecnia Penide.
The security of those crowds that congregate in the streets of Pamplona during the Sanfermines will be in charge this year of more than 2,500 agents between the National Police, Civil Guard, Foral Police and Municipal Police.
Of the agents that make up the device, some 800 correspond to the National Police, 649 to the Civil Guard, around 700 to the Provincial Police, and 404 to the Municipal Police. To them are added the 179 Civil Protection auxiliaries.
Hotels in Pamplona have also stepped up to welcome visitors who come to the city to enjoy the festivities. The Pamplona Hotel Association confirms an “excellent” occupancy forecast for all days, up to 90% in the first two days, on July 6 and 7.
The number of accredited professionals to show the parties to the whole world has also returned to pre-pandemic figures. There are 400 people from 120 national and foreign media, 20% more than last year.
This year there will be more events in Sanfermines: the electoral ones
Although they are not part of the official program, this time there will be other types of events at the Pamplona festivities, the electoral ones. Although a rather “discreet” campaign is to be expected during the Sanfermines, the political parties will also want to convey their messages to the citizens during the festivities.
In this sense, the Pamplona City Council has recommended that no electoral campaign events be organized during the Sanfermines or, at least, at certain times and spaces.
The Consistory will evaluate the requests and will try to make the right to carry out electoral acts as compatible as possible with the party and citizen security. It will be the Electoral Board that will have to pronounce itself if any such circumstance occurs.
These are going to be the first Sanfermines as mayoress of the regionalist Cristina Ibarrola, who has stated that she is “very excited” about the opportunity to experience a festival like “she would never have imagined”. They are parties, she has said, that this year they have the “surprise” of an electoral campaign, although, in her opinion, “nobody is going to be thinking much” about her in the city these days.