In pictures: Pamplona's world-famous San Fermín festival kicks off

One of Spain's biggest events, the festival of San Fermín in Pamplona, officially kicked off at noon this Thursday 6 July.

The week-long festivities in the capital city of the northern Spanish province, Navarre, are expected to attract hundreds-of-thousands of people from across the rest of the country, and around the world.

S

an Fermin - the patron saint of Pamplona - was typically a festival only locals would celebrate, and was relatively unknown outside of the Basque Country. But American writer Ernest Hemingway brought this tradition to the attention of the outside world in the 1920s.

Hemingway visited Pamplona for the festival of San Fermin nine times throughout his life, his first stint being annually between 1923 and 1927. But it was his 1926 debut novel featuring the festival that put San Fermin on the map. In 1980 it was declared an event of International Tourist Interest.

Although officially a celebration in honor of Pamplona’s patron saint, the festival is most famous for the 'chupinazo' (running of the bulls), when festival-goers clad in red and white take to the streets to be chased by the animals.

Other activities on the festival's programme include concerts involving famous Spanish artists Ana Torroja and Fangoria, performances by DJs, giants and big heads, festivals, children's activities and a bullfighting fair.

There is a famous song that is known all over the country, and will be sung by many over the next few days which highlights this festival, and especially this Thursday. It goes: '1 January, 2 February, 3 March , 4 April, 5 May , 6 June, 7 July, San Fermín we have to go to Pamplona'. The date on which the San Fermín starts is on 7 July, but, according to its schedule, these festivities officially begin on Thursday 6 July and end on Friday 14 July.