San Fermin Festival Cancelled For Second Year Running

April 27, 2021 Spain pamplona news

The sun will not be rising again this year as Pamplona’s world famous taurine festival celebrating the town’s parton saint, San Fermin has been cancelled for the second year running.

The Mayor, Enrique Maya, made the announcement saying: “I never thought this could happen.” but that due to the continuing surge of coronavirus cases the town will have to wait until 2022 when “ee will do it with the usual enthusiasm multiplied by three.”

The last time the San Fermin festival were cancelled two years in a row was during the Civil War, in 1937 and 1938.

At heart is the high infection rate in the town and the autonomous community of Navarra.

According to the latest figures released by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Navarra has one of the highest incident rate in the country with 416.82 per 100,000 of population compared to a national average of 230.

Though high, the figure is well below the peak of 1,100 per 100,000 inhabitants recorded during the secnd wave in October and November.

To date some 10% of the local population has received their vaccinations.

The cancelation is a blow to the local economy – as the week long event is a massive draw for international and Spanish aficionados. It is estimated that thepopulation of the town exceeds more than 3 times its population during the fedtivities with all hotels and tourist apartments booked out a year or more in advance.

The festival sees a daily bullrun and a full week of corridas bringing together some of the most celebrated bullfighters and bull breeders in the country.

Instead of public events and bullfights, the city will this year organise a series of “safe leisure” activities for residents.

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