The opening encierro of San Fermín 2026 in Pamplona unfolded calmly on July 7, with the Fuente Ymbro bulls completing the run without causing horn injuries. The initial medical report listed contusions among four runners: one had a head injury, two had leg injuries, and another had unspecified injuries near the plaza. None was gored. The bulls followed the cabestros closely throughout the course. Independent coverage by El Caso journalist Orsolya Gazdagi also described the run as fast and clean.
This year marked the Fuente Ymbro bulls’ nineteenth appearance in Pamplona’s old quarter. Their familiarity with the route showed as they held a tight formation amid dense crowds and festival noise. As is traditional, the cabestros led the herd from the moment the rocket signaled the opening of the Santo Domingo corrals, guiding it up the steep initial stretch after a night’s rest following the encierrillo.
The encierro follows an 875-metre route from the Cuesta de Santo Domingo to Pamplona’s bullring. The official Visit Navarra guide lists the runs each morning at 8 a.m. from July 7 to 14; the festival begins with the Chupinazo at noon on July 6. Hundreds of runners take part, while millions of viewers follow the event. Against that backdrop, the absence of horn injuries in the opening run was impressive, even as falls and contusions occurred.
Despite the large number of runners eager to test themselves on the festival’s opening day, the bulls, shielded by the cabestros and keeping their heads low, paid little attention to attempts to provoke them in the early meters. The group moved swiftly through the Plaza Consistorial and down Mercaderes Street, where 2,500 liters of anti-slip liquid had been applied to prevent falls. None of the animals crashed into the barriers at the entrance to crowded Estafeta Street.
Estafeta was packed as usual, prompting several falls and minor pile-ups among runners. The herd remained unbroken, with the cabestros at the front and the bulls following in single file. The animals reached the Telefónica section and entered the final stretch toward the bullring calmly. The first bull crossed into the corrals about two minutes after the start; the rest followed within 16 seconds. The run was 17 seconds faster than last year’s Fuente Ymbro run.
Resting in the bullring after the run were Fanfarrón (585 kg), Manirroto (570 kg), Escribiente (575 kg), Botellero (570 kg), Improvisado (610 kg) and Taranto (559 kg). The first four were black-coated, while the last two were jaboneros. These six bulls were scheduled to be fought later that day by Daniel Luque, Víctor Hernández and Aarón Palacio.
San Fermín’s opening day draws thousands of locals and visitors to Pamplona. This year’s event, covered in detail in a recent report on the festival’s launch and emergency preparations, has brought heightened attention to safety and crowd management. The smooth first encierro reflected the bulls’ experience and the city’s preventive measures.
The opening run’s clean medical outcome applied to that encierro alone; the festival as a whole later saw injuries. A report by Agence France-Presse, carried by The Daily Star, described three runners gored during the sixth run, which involved six El Pilar bulls. Three other people were hospitalized after falls. The herd completed that course in 4 minutes 57 seconds, then the slowest run of the festival. San Fermín’s encierros pair tradition with risk and draw crowds for the spectacle; the disciplined Fuente Ymbro herd gave the 2026 festivities a notably safe start.
