8 days until San Fermín 2026.
Here is what happened in Pamplona this week — because the city informs everything that happens on the route. This is encierro news June 2026: rule changes, the vallado going up, and a 516-act official program now in print.
La Mesa del Encierro Announces Two Rule Changes for 2026
(Orain / EITB, May 30, 2026)
La Mesa del Encierro — the governing body that oversees run regulations — met in late May and agreed on two changes that take effect this July. First: runners who reach the Plaza de Toros before the bulls arrive will no longer be permitted to remain in the ruedo (the bullring floor). The rule targets the common practice of entering the ring early and holding position, which blocks runners arriving behind the bulls. Second: the window to access the route shifts from 7:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., with entry permitted exclusively from the Plaza Consistorial. Both rules carry fines for violations. The Mesa also reviewed the structural safety of balconies and facade elements facing the route. The Federación de Peñas (the federation of San Fermín’s social and drinking clubs, the lifeblood of the fiesta) called for stronger public awareness campaigns about the run’s risks.
“Se va a prohibir que las personas corredoras que acceden a la plaza de toros antes de la llegada de los astados permanezcan en el ruedo, para que no entorpezcan al resto y dejen espacio libre.” (Runners who reach the bullring before the bulls arrive will be prohibited from remaining in the ring, so as not to obstruct others and to keep space free.)
Vallado Installation Underway on the Encierro Route
(Orain / EITB, June 1, 2026)
Hermanos Aldaz Remiro — the carpentry firm that has installed the run’s wooden infrastructure every year since 1992 — began mounting the vallado (the wooden barrier fence that lines the route) on June 1. Installation covers the encierrillo path (the nighttime bull transfer from the corrals to the Santo Domingo holding pen the evening before each run), the full encierro route from the corrales del Gas to the Plaza de Toros, and the interior of the bullring. The work involves 900 posts, 2,700 planks, and 80 doors.
“En total colocarán 900 postes, 2700 tablones y 80 puertas, que acotarán el tramo del encierrillo, el recorrido del encierro y el interior de la plaza de toros.” (In total: 900 posts, 2,700 planks, and 80 doors, demarcating the encierrillo path, the encierro route, and the interior of the bullring.)
Navarra’s Emergency Services Directorate to Fire the Txupinazo
(Orain / EITB, June 17, 2026)
The Subdirección de Urgencias de Navarra — Navarra’s emergency medical services directorate — was chosen by popular vote to fire the txupinazo (the rocket launch that opens San Fermín on July 6) from the main balcony of Pamplona’s City Hall. Mayor Joseba Asiron announced the result on June 17. The vote ran June 2–15. Four other candidates competed: the Federación Navarra de Pelota, the Plataforma de Mujeres contra la Violencia Sexista, women researchers from Navarra’s public R&D network, and the Coral Santiago de la Txantrea choir. The Subdirección was honored specifically for its work during the encierros. Their San Fermín deployment includes five mobile ICU units, coordination through the 112 emergency line, and out-of-hospital emergency centers positioned along the route.
Pamplona Releases the Official 2026 Program: 516 Acts, 1.7 Million Euros
(Orain / EITB, June 24, 2026)
Culture councilor Maider Beloki presented the official San Fermín 2026 program at a press conference June 24. The program runs July 6–14 and includes 516 acts: 58 concerts, 23 verbenas (outdoor dances), theater, religious processions, fireworks, and the daily encierros. Budget: 1.7 million euros. Two calendar shifts worth noting: the feria de ganado (cattle fair), traditionally held July 7, moves to July 11; the Mazedonia-Kalejira de las Culturas moves from July 14 to July 12. Programming expands this year to Pamplona’s outer neighborhoods — Txantrea, Ermitagaña-Mendebaldea, Etxabakoitz, Azpilagaña, Iturrama, and San Juan — from July 8–13. A first-ever Txupinazo Txiki for children runs July 10. Ongoing construction on Paseo Sarasate has shifted several traditional musical events to Plaza de San José and a new venue, Civivox Pompelo.
“Una programación diversa y equilibrada, capaz de combinar tradición y modernidad, cultura popular, grandes escenarios y actividades de proximidad.” — Concejala Maider Beloki (A diverse and balanced program, combining tradition and modernity, popular culture, large venues, and neighborhood-level activities.)
400-Plus Police Officers Deployed for San Fermín
(Ayuntamiento de Pamplona, June 26, 2026)
The city announced more than 400 Policía Municipal officers will be deployed during San Fermín 2026, with special units assigned to the highest-attendance moments: the txupinazo, the daily encierros, the procession, fireworks, and the Pobre de Mí closing ceremony on July 14.
Ayuntamiento de Pamplona — June 26, 2026
From the Archive
The new rule on bullring access — no runners holding position in the ring before the bulls arrive — is directly relevant to what happens at the final section of the route. Telefónica: The Final Funnel of the Encierro Route covers the dynamics of that stretch in detail.
Compiled by the Encierro editorial team. encierro.com tracks Pamplona’s encierro, its city, and its fiesta year-round — with instruction from active bull runners who have run San Fermín for decades.