San Fermín 2026 will see all eight bull runs broadcast live on La 1, 24 Horas, RTVE Play, and RNE. Pamplona prepares for a week of festivities, with new multicamera streaming and a lineup of leading matadors.
San Fermín 2026 is set to begin in Pamplona with a major expansion in live coverage, as RTVE confirms that all eight morning bull runs will be broadcast from July 7 to 14. The daily encierros, starting at 8:00 a.m., will air on La 1, the 24 Horas channel, RTVE Play, and RNE, marking a significant step in making the festival accessible to viewers across Spain and beyond. This year, RTVE introduces a multicamera streaming option, allowing audiences to follow the action from ten simultaneous feeds, including nine strategic points along the route and the main broadcast signal.
The festival officially opens on July 6 with the traditional Chupinazo, launching a week that transforms Pamplona into a vibrant hub of music, parades, and cultural events. While concerts and the famous comparsa of giants and big-heads fill the streets, the heart of San Fermín remains the morning bull runs. Each day, bulls from renowned ranches—Fuente Ymbro, Cebada Gago, Victoriano del Río and Toros de Cortés, Álvaro Núñez, José Escolar, La Palmosilla, Miura, and a joint run by Jandilla and Vega Hermosa—charge through the city from Santo Domingo to the Plaza de Toros, passing the iconic Estafeta street.
RTVE’s special programming begins each morning at 7:15 with ‘Vive San Fermín’ on La 1, hosted by Ana Prada and Julian Iantzi, joined this year by Egoitz Txurruka and expert runner Teo Lázaro. The coverage extends beyond television, with RTVE Play offering a dedicated San Fermín portal and a thematic channel, RTVE Sanfermines, streaming 24 hours a day from July 6 to 15. Registered users can access historical content, including past encierros dating back to 2008, and follow minute-by-minute updates on RTVE.es.
Each afternoon, the Plaza de Toros hosts the Fiesta del Toro, where the same bulls from the morning runs are featured in bullfights with leading matadors such as Alejandro Talavante, Roca Rey, Morante de la Puebla, Borja Jiménez, Juan Ortega, and Tomás Rufo. The city expects thousands of visitors, both local and international, all drawn by the unique atmosphere of white clothing and red scarves that define the Sanfermines. The festival’s enduring appeal, immortalized by Ernest Hemingway, continues to attract global attention and media coverage.
For those interested in how major Spanish events are covered on television, the recent shift in sports broadcasting schedules, such as the Mexico-England World Cup match, highlights the growing importance of live and flexible coverage for national audiences. More details on this trend can be found in the report on recent changes to World Cup match timings.
San Fermín is one of Spain’s most recognized festivals, deeply rooted in the culture of Navarra and the city of Pamplona. The encierros are not only a test of courage for runners but also a logistical challenge for organizers and emergency services. The event’s international profile has grown steadily, with live broadcasts now reaching millions worldwide. The combination of tradition, spectacle, and modern media technology ensures that San Fermín remains a highlight of the Spanish summer calendar, drawing attention from both seasoned festival-goers and new audiences each year.
