Living the txupinazo among the crowd is quite a strong experience: the overcrowding is terrible and you can’t even move a finger. It’s infernally hot, no matter the weather: a little vapor of sweat, champagne, and various liquids rises from the mass and falls on you from all sides (some even make really disgusting mixtures: ketchup, chocolate milk, mustard, flour, shaving foam, etc.).
Buckets of water are thrown from the balconies to relieve the suffocation. The shoving is passed through the crowd like a wave. In some of these moments, large chunks of human jumble fall to the ground, and there is a general commotion to avoid stepping on them. Quite a sight. After being in the square, people seem to come out of an old washing machine. Every year, medical services attend to many bruised, faint, and suffocated individuals, but there are usually no serious injuries.
Tips for the Txupinazo
–You cannot enter with glass, the police will take it away if you try. You can get champagne or wine in plastic or carton at the local establishments.
–Protect your feet. Flip-flops are not a good option, neither are hiking boots.
–Your clothes will end up completely dirty with wine, sangria, and champagne. Get wet and take it with joy, as it gets very hot. Leave at home the clothes you don’t want to stain or ruin (this advice goes for all of Sanfermin), as well as the camera (you won’t be able to use it unless it’s waterproof), and in general all fragile items.
-It is customary to have the scarf tied to the wrist or kept in the pocket until the txupinazo inaugurates the party. Then the custom invites you to put it wherever you please, although most people choose the neck. It’s a great start.
–Not suitable for claustrophobic individuals -especially from 11 to 12-.
-In recent editions, some people undress out of joy. Respect them and do not touch those who do not want to be touched. In Sanfermin, NO also means NO.
–The txupinazo is not suitable for children: apart from being stepped on, at their height it is much hotter and there is less air.
–Be careful with your belongings (keys, money, documentation…), the txupinazo is the ideal place to lose everything, and if something falls on the ground, it is impossible to find it.
Watching the Txupinazo from a balcony
To watch it from a balcony, it is essential to be invited by a local or rent one through Sanfermin.com. We always recommend experiencing the party on the street, but for the street txupinazo, you must not be claustrophobic and you must really enjoy the crowd.
You can also go and breathe the atmosphere on some of the streets leading to the Town Hall square, getting closer until things start to get intense. Or you can watch it like most of the population, on TV in a bar or on giant screens placed throughout the city. It is broadcast live on TVE and Eitb.
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