I just today received a copy of an article printed in the Diario de Noticias (a local paper in Pamplona) Stating that the people of Pamplona have realized that the encierro has become more of a spectacle than a Tradition. That people are more interested in trying to get themselves on TV, wearing gaudy T-shirts, than they are interested in the tradition of Running with the Bulls. Each year since I have been going the crowds have increased, 2 years ago on the last Saturday night there was reported to be over 1 million people in pamplona that night alone. Over 5 times the population of the city. They offer suggestions that they limit the TV coverage of the fiesta, limit the number of people that will be allowed to run each morning, increase the number of pastores (the men that herd the bulls up the streets). It is true that San Fermin has become know as the biggest wildest party in the world. There is truly a lot more to the fiesta than running with the bulls and drinking yourself silly. It is steeped in Tradition; it is a fiesta honoring their patron saint San Fermin. To me San Fermin is many things, friends that come together from all over the world, The Spanish think of it as spreading joy, There is a lot of JOY spread during this party, Tradition, excitement, music, dancing, the children, how the families of Pamplona share this fiesta, the Penas, the people of Pamplona their patients, their friendliness. I have never seen so many people acting as one any other place is the world. When everyone put on their traditional white and red clothing everyone becomes the same, the rich, the poor, young, and old, people from all over the world, they are all one. But the one thing that keeps me coming back here are the Bulls. There is nothing like seeing them run thru the streets. They have been doing it for centuries. Well these are my thoughts. I am interested in what others have to say about this.

I agree that the fiesta seems to be trivialized by those casual tourists. We can thank or vilify Hemingway for popularizing the fiesta. I think the world would've found it eventually without Ernie.

To me, Los Sanfermines are about the toros, but also the ambience, the music [peñas, etc], the cabezudos y gigantes parades, and the unequaled, palpable "algo" that is in the air each July.

Pamplona is a wonderful city, and the fact that they've pulled this off without modifying things too much is as much a testament to the Navarros' accepting nature as it is to its popularity and the necessity to the local economy.

Gora San Fermín!