Jul 9, 2012

Each year participants gather to celebrate the ‘Chupinazo,’ which marks the start of the San Fermin Festival in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. Tens of thousands of people pack Pamplona’s streets for a drunken kick-off to Spain’s best-known fiesta. The highlight of the nine day festival is the running of the bulls where brave (or stupid depending on your point of view) festival goers dodge bulls as they run through the streets of Pamplona. To give you a sample of this spectacular event The Darkroom has added some images from last years running of the bulls along with the opening ceremony for the 2012 festival.

: Revelers run beside a Cebada Gago ranch fighting bull along Estafeta street on the third day of the San Fermin running-of-the-bulls in Pamplona, Spain. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

: A wild cow leaps over a group of revellers following the third day of the running of the bulls at the bullring during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona . Various runners suffered light injuries in a run that lasted two minutes and twenty-eight seconds, according to the Navarran government press office. (Joseba Etxaburu/Reuters photo)

: A runner is dragged by his scarf by a Dolores Aguirre fighting bull at the entrance to the bullring during the first running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. One person was gored and four others injured in a run that lasted two minutes and fifty-two seconds, according to local media. (Vincent West/Reuters photo)

: A reveler celebrates during the first day of the San Fermin running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

: A runner, identified by a Navarran government spokesperson as a 21-year-old Japanese man from Ikeda, is attended by emergency services following the first running of the bulls in Pamplona. One person was gored and four others injured in a run that lasted two minutes and fifty-two seconds, according to local media. (Vincent West/Reuters photo)

: Steers enter the bullring during the second running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. There were no injured runners in the run that lasted two minutes and twenty nine seconds, according to local media. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: A reveller smokes a cigar on the second day of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. (Vincent West/Reuters photo)

: Runners sprint in front of a steer, used to guide Miura fighting bulls, near the entrance to the bullring on the second day of the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Various runners suffered light injuries in a run that lasted two minutes and twenty-eight seconds, according to local media. (Eloy Alonso/Reuters photo)

: A recortador performs a pass during a contest at Pamplona’s bullring on the third day of the San Fermin festival. (Joseba Etxaburu/Reuters photo)

: A steer jumps over the crowd of runners blocking the entrance to the bullring during the second running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. There were no injured runners in the run that lasted two minutes and twenty nine seconds, according to local media. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: Revellers sleep on a bench after the second running of the bulls during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: A girl reacts as she gets hit by the hat of a “Kiliki” during San Fermin festival’s “Comparsa de gigantes y cabezudos” (Parade of the giants and the big heads) in Pamplona. “Kilikis”, wearing outsized masks as they playfully hit bystanders with sponges on sticks, parade daily through the city accompanied by brass bands during the nine-day-long festival made popular by U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: A Cebada Gago ranch fighting bull falls on Estafeta corner during the third Running Of The Bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. Three people, two from Britain and one from the U.S. were gored by Fugado (Runaway), a 545 kg (1,199 pounds) bull that broke from the pack after falling in Santo Domingo in a run that lasted three minutes and thirty-eight seconds. (Joseba Etxaburu/Reuters photo)

: Participants run in front of Cebada Gago bulls during the third bull run of the San Fermin festival in the Northern Spanish city of Pamplona. The festival is a symbol of Spanish culture that attracts thousands of tourists to watch the bull runs despite heavy condemnation from animal rights groups . (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants run in front of Cebada Gago bulls during the third bull run of the San Fermin festival. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: A participant runs in front of a Cebada Gago bull during the third bull run of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. (Ander Gillenea/Getty Images)

: A bullock runs in front of the crowd packed at the entrance of the bullring during the second run of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in the Northern Spanish city of Pamplona. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: A runner is pushed into the bullring by a Miura bull during the second run of the bulls of the San Fermin festival,(Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. Tens of thousands of people packed Pamplona’s streets for a drunken kick-off to Spain’s best-known fiesta: the nine-day San Fermin bull-running festival. (Rafa Rivas/GettyImages)

: Revellers hold up their red scarves next to a Basque Country flag during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2012. The annual festival, best known for its daily running of the bulls, kicked off on Friday with the traditional “Chupinazo” rocket launch and will run until July 14. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: Revellers hold up their red scarves during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2012. The annual festival, best known for its daily running of the bulls, kicked off on Friday with the traditional “Chupinazo” rocket launch and will run until July 14. (Eloy Alonso/Reuters photo) (SPAIN – Tags: SOCIETY ANNIVERSARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ORG XMIT: EAG02

: Revellers hold up their red scarves during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2012. The annual festival, best known for its daily running of the bulls, kicked off on Friday with the traditional “Chupinazo” rocket launch and will run until July 14. (Eloy Alonso/Reuters photo)

: Revellers hold up their red scarves during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2012. The annual festival, best known for its daily running of the bulls, kicked off on Friday with the traditional “Chupinazo” rocket launch and will run until July 14. (Susana Vera/Reuters photo)

: Revellers on the town hall balcony hold up red scarves during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2012. The festival, best known for its daily running of the bulls, kicked off on Tuesday with the traditional “Chupinazo” rocket launch and will run until July 14. (Vincent West/Reuters photo)

: Participants hold red scarves during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Ander Gillenea/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Pedro Armestre/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Ander Gillenea/Getty Images)

: Participants gather to celebrate the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. Tens of thousands of people packed Pamplona’s streets for a drunken kick-off to Spain’s best-known fiesta: the nine-day San Fermin bull-running festival. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Two girls kiss each other as they celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants are sprayed with water as they celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: Participants are sprayed with water as they celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2012 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. (Rafa Rivas/Getty Images)

: A fighting bull takes the curve during the third day of the San Fermin running-of-the-bulls on July 8, 2011 in Pamplona, Spain. Pamplona’s famous Fiesta de San Fermin, which involves the running of the bulls through the historic heart of Pamplona for eight days. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

: A man falls in font of a Cebada Gago’s fighting bull during the second San Fermin Festival bull run, on July 08, 2011, in Pamplona, northern Spain. (Ander Gillena/Getty Images)

: Participants run with Torrestrella’s fighting bulls during the first San Fermin Festival bull run, on July 07, 2011, in Pamplona, northern Spain. The festival is a symbol of Spanish culture that attracts thousands of tourists. (Pedro Armestre/Getty Images)

: A reveller falls next to a steer during the first bull run of the famous running of the bulls San Fermin festival in Pamplona July 7, 2011. (Eloy Alonso/Reuters photo)

: Participants run in front of a cow during the first San Fermin Festival bull run, on July 07, 2010, in Pamplona, northern Spain. The festival is a symbol of Spanish culture that attracts thousands of tourists to watch the bull runs despite heavy condemnation from animal rights groups.(Ander Gillena/Getty Images)

: Runners sprint in front of Cebada Gago fighting bulls at Telefonica corner during the second running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona July 8, 2011. (Vincent West/Reuters photo)

Bullish on bulls: All the gorey details from Pamplona, Spain

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