When Pamplona Turns Red and White

Red and white festival crowds in Pamplona during San Fermín

When Pamplona Turns Red and White

Each July, Pamplona / Iruña, in Navarra, takes on the colours of San Fermín. White clothing and red neckerchiefs fill the old town, while balconies and streets become part of a shared celebration.

Held from 6 to 14 July, the festival brings music, processions and gatherings into everyday urban spaces. Its most recognisable image begins with a simple combination: two colours worn together.

Macarena walking through Pamplona’s old town

A city shaped by celebration

San Fermín brings together religious devotion, historic fairs and popular festivities. The procession on 7 July remains one expression of those roots, alongside the music of the peñas and the presence of the Gigantes y Cabezudos.

Beyond the famous encierro, the old town holds many rhythms. A street filled with celebration can later offer a quieter walk, with stone façades, flags and the last light between the buildings.

Macarena on a balcony above a street in Pamplona

The meaning of a red scarf

At noon on 6 July, the Chupinazo launched from City Hall announces the beginning of the festival. The red pañuelico, held aloft beforehand, is then tied around the neck.

For Macarena de Alba, this is a powerful relationship between clothing and belonging. White gives the red its presence; a small piece of fabric carries the meaning of a place, an occasion and a gesture shared by thousands.

A red neckerchief, coffee and bread beside a window during San Fermín

Before the streets fill

A coffee beside the window, bread on the table and a folded red scarf show another side of the celebration. Tradition also lives in preparing for the day and recognising familiar rituals.

Flowers, painted ceramics and warm timber bring the city’s story back to an intimate scale. These are the details Macarena de Alba carries away: colour with meaning, textures close to daily life and the quiet moments around a collective celebration.