bullfight

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I am little scared of the bullfight but I’ve heard that this is a core part of the San Fermin festival. I mean, do you think it is worth going to?

I think so, although after having seen one you may decide not to go again anymore!
Bullfights are one of the most important shows in San Fermin, and, you know, the show is not only what happens in the arena between the “matador” and the bull, but also the parade at the beginning, the spectacular clothes of the people involved, the music, the atmosphere in the bullring…It’s a “fiesta” inside the “fiesta”.
Don’t let go the opportunity of experiencing it pass you by. They take place in the arena everyday from the 7th to the 14th of July at six thirty in the afternoon.

That´s interesting, but how can I get a ticket?. Besides, I am travelling low cost and I don’t want to spend a huge amount of money on the tickets?

Well, getting the tickets is the most difficult task. It’s almost impossible to buy tickets for the bullfights, because 90% of the seats are reserved for season ticket holders, who renew their passes every year.
Despite this, the tickets (only for the upper tier) can be bought the previous day, after the event, at the box office and also an hour or half an hour just before the show starts from the ticket-touts. In this case, prices may double but if you buy the tickets at the last minute, just when the bullfight is about to start or even when it just starts, prices drop off and you can even buy them at face value. Ticket-touts are easily found near the arena offering their tickets.

I have heard about the sun and the shaded areas in the bullring. What about this?

Oh yes, this is a very important point to take in account if you go to a bullfight. The areas in the sun, “tendidos” number 5 and 6, is an anarchist territory leaded by peñas or private gastronomical societies & social clubs. Here the attention is not paid to the bullfight mainly, but to their own music, singing and drinking.
For you to have an idea the peñas are groups of young, and not-so-young people, that have, each one, its own blouse, emblems, charanga (musical band) and banner. They have a total of 5.000 members and almost all of them are in the bullfight in the sun area. So, let me give you some advice, if you go to this area it is worth coming across as an authentic man from Pamplona, totally dressed in white, wearing loose items and a hat, especially if you are a foreign blond girl!!!. If that is the case and you go in your natural appearance, surely you will be the target of all the men of the seats around yours and they will throw wine, pieces of fruit, champagne over you …
On the contrary, in sectors 1, 2 and 3, bullfighting is the main event. The audience remains more or less in silence, paying attention to the bullfight. But here you can also see all the people having sandwiches and drinking wine and champagne.

Wow, it sounds amazing! Is there anything more I should know?.

Well, if in the end you don’t go to the bullfight you can enjoy the atmosphere when it’s over. Leaving the bullring is one of the funniest moments of the day. At about 20:30 H. the peñas leave the bullring dancing to their own music and parading with their banners (5 m. wide and two and a half high) where celebrities, politicians, laws or current circumstances are made fun of, mixing criticism with humour.