Sanfermin Open Ceremony

This moment is marked by a rocket -the “Txupinazo”- which is set off to announce the start of the Fiesta. All morning, crowds gather in the “Plaza Ayuntamiento”. It is often a hot day and there is not an inch of free space in the packed Square. The passion and intensity grows every minute until it reaches a crescendo at midday. At that point the Mayor and members of the Council step out onto the balconies of the Town Hall to greet the crowds. Photo: Carlos MediavillaA nominated person shouts the announcement; “Pamploneses, Pamplonesas, Viva San Fermín! Gora San Fermín!” (people of Pamplona, long live San Fermín!) The crowd responds with cries of “Viva!” and “Gora!” and the rocket is launched into the sky.At this moment the Square erupts as hundreds of bottles of Champagne are uncorked and sprayed liberally over the crammed crowd. The smart, clean clothes of the excited people take their first, but not their last soaking from the jets of spraying Champagne.The first bout of drinking has started as thousands of bottles of champagne are guzzled down for the start of an uninterrupted party until the day of the 14th of July arrives. Within a few hours many people will be on a high that will last for the whole week. The Txupinazo begins a high that for many people will last the whole week.

How to take part in the Txupinazo rocket

If you want to get right in there among the packed crowd it means getting there an hour before and pushing your way in among the packed crowd. If you want to see the spectacle then the best place would be from any one of the many balconies of private houses which surround the square. But of course that means getting an invite from of the owners or to rent the balconies of sanfermin.com. The square is so crammed that it might be better just to go along to one of the surrounding streets where you can feel the atmosphere of the whole thing. Or you can just do the same as many of the locals do, and watch it from the T.V. in some bar or other.

Inside the square

If you want to get right in there among the packed crowd it means getting there an hour before and pushing your way in among the packed crowd. To experience the whole spectacle in this way is unique of course, but remember that you won’t be able to move a muscle in the tight space. It will also very likely be teeming hot even if the heat is only coming from the milling crowd of sweating drinking singing bodies crammed together. Some young people make a very disgusting mixings: quetchup, cacao, mustard, flour, saving foam, etc. The whole thing can be so suffocating that people from the balconies often pour buckets of water over the crammed crowd to give them some relief. There can sometimes be waves of bodies pushed forward and some people can fall to the ground among the avalance of people. When it’s all over the departing crowd often look like they have just come out of an old washing machine what with all the water, champagne and sweating.There are always some first-aid posts to attend to those who have fainted or bruised themselves, though it has never gotten more serious than something like that.

Open ceremony advices (Chupinazo tricks)

–It’s no place for kids. They could get stepped on and at their height there is not much air moving round. –It’s no place for wearing sandals or light shoes. You’re going to get stepped on and also many people drop their empty champagne bottles on the ground when they have finished them, so broken glass is to be found all over the square. –Don’t wear any clothes that you value, and this is good advice for the whole of the Fiesta. –Don’t take your camera or any valuables with you. Taking decent photos will be impossible with all the liquid spraying round. And if you drop anything like your wallet or whatever it could be difficult to look for it among the packed crowd. –If you don’t want to see it inside the plaza, you can just do the same as many of the locals do, and watch it from the T.V. in some bar or other or at the big screens at the Plaza del Castillo.

Open ceremony from our balcony

If you can watch the Open Ceremony from a balcony we can offer to you the best of them. Surely the best balcony to watch the Open Ceremony with the rocket launch (The Txupinazo). You can be exclusive witness of the Fiesta from a safe and privileged position. Our local guides (Spanish, English, French) accompany you to the apartment, from which you can watch the event while enjoying a typical snack with drinks.1941 – 1950

1941. Joaquín Ilundáin 1942. Joaquín Ilundáin 1943. Jaime del Burgo 1944. Jaime del Burgo 1945. Miguel Troncoso 1946. Miguel Troncoso 1947. Joaquín Ilundáin 1948. Joaquín Ilundáin 1949. José Mª Martinicorena 1950. José Mª Martinicorena

1951 – 1960

1951. José Mª Martinicorena 1952. Nicolás Ibarra 1953. Nicolás Ibarra 1954. Nicolás Ibarra 1955. Adrián Endériz 1956. Adrián Endériz 1957. Adrián Endériz 1958. César Fonseca 1959. César Fonseca 1960. Juan Miguel Arrieta

1961 – 1970

1961. Juan Miguel Arrieta 1962. Juan Miguel Arrieta 1963. Juan Miguel Arrieta 1964. Manuel Fraga * 1965. Lorenzo Martinicorena 1966. Lorenzo Martinicorena 1967. Agustín Latorre 1968. Agustín Latorre 1969. Agustín Latorre 1970. Agustín Latorre * Ez dira konzejalak

1971 – 1980

1971. Joaquín Rouzaut 1972. Joaquín Sáez 1973. Manuel Huici 1974. Joaquín Rouzaut 1975. Francisco Javier Iraburu 1976. Joaquín Sáez 1977. Joaquín Sáez 1978. Juan Frommknecht 1979. Juan Manuel Pérez Balda 1980. Benicio Aguerrea

1981 – 1990

1981. Elisa Chacartegui 1982. Patxi Zabaleta 1983. Marisol Elizari 1984. Juan Cruz Alli 1985. Iñaki Beorlegui 1986. Joaquín Salanueva 1987. José Javier Gortari 1988. Javier Iturbe 1989. Elías Antón 1990. Elena Modrego

1991 – 2000

1991. Alfredo Jaime, comparte con José María Pérez Salazar y Joaquín Ilundáin. 1992. Joaquín Pascal 1993. Mariné Pueyo 1994. Javier Ayesa 1995. José Javier Echeverría 1996. Javier Igal 1997. Javier Chourraut 1998. Concha Fernández de Pinedo 1999. Yolanda Barcina 2000. César Palacios *

2001 – 2010

2001. Fermín Tajadura * 2002. Roberto Jiménez 2003. Juan Luis Sánchez de Muniain 2004. Jorge Mori 2005. Idoia Saralegui 2006. Javier Eskubi 2007. Yolanda Barcina 2008. Uxue Barcos 2009. Maite Esporrín 2010. Mari Ganuza * 150 Aniversario de la Comparsa.

2011 – 2020

2011. Enrique Maya 2012. Iñaki Cabasés 2013. Eduardo Vall + ONCE 2014. Cruz Roja* 2015. Javier Aranegui (Orfeón Pamplonés) y Chantal Estrada (Peña La Veleta)* * Ez dira konzejalak 2016. Jesús Ilundáin “El Tuli”* 2017 DYA Navarra 2018 Motxila 21 2019 La Pamplonesa. 2020 No Fiesta. 2021 No Fiesta. 2022 Juan Carlos Unzué