San Fermín 2026 opens with health workers chupinazo amid heat and politics

The 2026 Sanfermines began on July 6 with the traditional chupinazo at Pamplona's Plaza Consistorial, launched by Clint Jean Louis and Araceli Sergio of the Navarra Emergency Subdirectorate, chosen by popular vote. The ceremony took place under an orange alert heatwave with temperatures reaching 33°C at noon and expected to hit 40°C, marking one of the hottest starts in recent years Source: Infobae; El Mundo.

Political tensions

The event was not without political undercurrents. Bildu's mayor Joseba Asiron invited Lehendakari Imanol Pradales to the balcony, a move interpreted by some as an attempt to 'euskaldunizar' the festival Source: ABC. The plaza saw ikurriñas, banners calling for Independentzia, and a large slogan reading 'Destroy Israel' Source: El Mundo. Meanwhile, the elected health worker protagonists were seen as a depoliticizing choice Source: El Mundo.

What's next

The fiestas run until July 14 with 516 official acts, including the famous encierros starting Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. TVE will broadcast live with a multi-camera option on RTVE Play Source: El Confidencial. The encierros feature ganaderías like Fuente Ymbro, Cebada Gago, and Miura on successive days Source: El Mundo.