The 2023 Sanfermines begin with a massive blowout starring Osasuna

PAMPLONA, 6 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Pamplona has plunged this Thursday into the 2023 Sanfermines after the chupinazo that has started 204 hours of partying in white and red.

The president of Club Atlético Osasuna, Luis Sabalza, has been in charge of lighting the fuse for the chupinazo at 12 noon on July 6 in front of a square packed with a crowd that has exploded with joy.

The Pamplona City Council decided to grant Osasuna the responsibility of opening the 2023 Sanfermines in recognition of its season, in which it has played in the Copa del Rey final and has finished seventh in the Santander League, although UEFA deprives it of playing the Conference League for the match-fixing case of a decade ago. Banners against UEFA have been seen in the Town Hall square, with the message 'Strong with the weak. Weak with the strong' and 'Justice'. In addition, chants in favor of Osasuna have been repeated in the square.

Luis Sabalza was accompanied at the Town Hall by the Osasuna coach, Jagoba Arrasate, and by the captains David García and Unai García.

In addition, the mayoress, Cristina Ibarrola; the councilors of the municipal corporation; the President of the Government of Navarra, María Chivite; the president of the Parliament of Navarre, Unai Hualde; the mayor of Tudela, Alejandro Toquero; the president of the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra, Joaquín Galve; and the former mayor of Pamplona and former president of the Government of Navarra, Yolanda Barcina, among others.

Moments before 12 o'clock, with a cloudy sky but no rain, Luis Sabalza went out onto the balcony of the Town Hall, causing the people of Pamplona and visitors who were waiting in the square to burst with joy.

"Pamplonesas, Pamploneses, Long live San Fermín! Iruindarrak, gora San Fermin! And we will not give up! Aupa Osasuna!", were the words pronounced by Luis Sabalza, adding to the first traditional part a mention of the sanction of UEFA to Osasuna. In the square, with their handkerchiefs held high, the waiters have repeated "viva" and "gora" and Sabalza has lit the fuse of the chupinazo. Once the rocket exploded, jubilation spread through the Plaza Consistorial, the adjacent streets and the rest of the center of Pamplona, ​​where thousands of people gathered.

The citizens have tied the red scarf around their necks, kicking off the 2023 Sanfermines, an edition that marks the hundredth anniversary of the first visit to Pamplona by the writer Ernest Hemingway, who popularized the festivities internationally.

Pamplona will multiply its population these days and will offer residents and visitors the eight running of the bulls, street activity, concerts, the start of the troupe of giants and big heads, or the international fireworks contest. The 2023 Sanfermines program has 542 acts.

As usual, the eight running of the bulls will be one of the main moments of the Sanfermines. The bulls of La Palmosilla will star in the first race of the festivities, on Friday, July 7, at 8 am from the corrals of Santo Domingo.

The rest of the confinements will be with bulls from José Escolar Gil (July 8), Cebada Gago (July 9), Fuente Ymbro (July 10), Núñez del Cuvillo (July 11), Jandilla (July 12), Victoriano del Río (July 13) and Miura (July 14).

In addition, Pamplona will live on Friday, July 7, San Fermín, its big day of festivities, with the procession in honor of the saint through the streets of the city center.

More than half of the acts on the programme, 283, are musical, with stages distributed in the Plaza del Castillo, de la Compañía, de los Fueros and de la Cruz, as well as the festivals in Antoniutti or the jotas and activities on the Paseo de Sarasate. Added to all this is music in the street, the bands that leave daily from different parts of the city, the txistu and bagpipes in the afternoon or special events such as the Txistularis Show, the dance festival, the jauzis or the kalejira of cultures.

In the Plaza del Castillo the concerts will be at 11:45 p.m. On the 6th, Ana Torroja will perform; on the 7th, Tears of Blood and Mrs. Tomasa; on the 8th, Fangoria; on the 9th, Dani Fernández; on the 10th, Funzo

Another 145 acts correspond to children's and family programming, with the usual parades in Carlos III, torico de fuego, departures of the troupe of giants and big heads or the collections of fireworks, among others. For yet another year, the venues for 'Menudas fiestas' are maintained in Plaza de la Libertad, 'Sport kids' in Parque de la Media Luna or 'Juego rejuego' in Taconera. In addition, 37 activities are specifically aimed at youth, with the new location of the Youth Zone in the Plaza de la Constitución and another 34 revolve around the world of bullfighting, with running of the bulls, bullfights, mule parades or encierillos.

For the second year, in Condestable you can enjoy five cultural events on the afternoons from July 9 to 12, with concerts, theater and circus, humor and cabaret and, in addition, ten literary routes are proposed, in Spanish and Basque, focused on the Hemingway figure.

In addition, there are 7 days of rural sports in the Plaza de los Fueros, the two exhibitions scheduled to be visited at the Palacio de Condestable during Sanfermines or 10 institutional acts, including the chupinazo, Vespers, the procession, the Eighth and Poor Me and others related to receptions and activities on special holidays.

One of the novelties of these Sanfermines has to do with the farewell to the Gigantes y Cabezudos troupe on July 14. The farewell changes location and will take place in the Plaza del Castillo and not in the Plaza Consistorial, as in recent years. The Gigantes de Pamplona Cultural Association has prepared a special show that will include performances by well-known Navarrese singers as a novelty. The figures will be kept after the farewell in the Palacio de Navarra.

The 2023 Sanfermines will say goodbye on July 14 at midnight with the traditional Pobre de Mí from the Town Hall.