Thousands of visitors heading to Pamplona for the 2026 edition of San Fermín, Spain’s most famous bull run, may feel nervous about the charging animals and their horns. However, local Pamplona police are preoccupied with a very different danger that tends to spike when this celebration comes around, and that few people think about at the event: theft.

Local Pamplona police prepare for hundreds of San Fermín complaints

As San Fermín returns, a special, temporary reporting office is opening for the celebration after hundreds of complaints were recorded during last year’s festival, with theft accounting for more than half of them.

As it stands, last year officials received a whopping 340 complaints during the famed festival, of which 196 were theft complaints. This represents an incredible 57.64 per cent of all complaints. Additionally, another 45 cases involved lost belongings or documentation.

The office, located at Calle Zapatería 40, will be added on July 5, just before the festival’s opening day, due to the expectation of high demand for this year’s edition of the event. Additional staff will also be added in order to help locals and holidaymakers that may have had their belongings stolen. The opening hours for the office will be from 11:30am to 11:30pm on each day of the festival. This office will be in operation until the end of San Fermín, on July 14.

While visitors watch the bulls, thieves watch the crowds

Every year, large numbers of people visit Pamplona for San Fermín, particularly during major festival moments. This means that, while visitors and holidaymakers are dazzled by the charging animals and the festivities, these crowded areas create ideal opportunities for pickpockets and thieves to whisk belongings away.

The problem is well-known and widespread throughout the festivities; so much, in fact, that the official San Fermín safety information guide warns visitors about the possibility of being pickpocketed while surrounded by a packed crowd.

Getting pickpocketed could be especially disastrous for foreign tourists: visitors may be carrying essential and valuable items including phones, bank cards and identification while moving through an unfamiliar city and extremely dense crowds.

Leaving your passport at your accommodation

To avoid having valuables like a passport stolen while enjoying a festival, there are a few things visitors can do:

• Only carry what is needed.
• Avoid carrying a passport unless necessary.
• Keep a secure copy or digital record of important travel documents.
• Do not keep a phone and wallet together in an easily accessible pocket.
• Be particularly careful and aware of your surroundings in tightly packed crowds, even if you think a thief could not easily get away.
• Know where the temporary police reporting office is before attending the busiest festival events.

A stolen passport can turn a fun Spanish festival trip into a nightmare

Having your passport stolen, especially abroad, can give travellers quite the headache. When a visitor reports their passport as stolen, the document is immediately flagged as cancelled. Even if the passport is found later, it cannot be used to travel anymore.

Additionally, the traveller, without an emergency travel document issued by their home country, could be grounded and miss their flights and other trips, compounding government fees for replacement documents with the expense of a new booking.

Finally, the process to report the document as stolen can be lengthy and annoying, as the embassy often needs to prove the loss before being able to help the victim.

For British visitors, a lost or stolen passport can be reported to the UK government, and an Emergency Travel Document may be required if the person cannot travel using their existing documentation.

Irish visitors, on the other hand, can apply either online or through the post for a replacement of their stolen passport. Additionally, the theft can be reported to the Gardaí and with the submission of a Garda Certificate of Loss, along with a letter signed by the victim, which will mark the passport as lost or stolen.

What is San Fermín?

San Fermín officially begins on July 6 and is a world-famous Spanish celebration in honour of the town’s patron saint. To celebrate, the town hosts its famous bull runs, which happen on each morning of the festival, from July 7 to July 14 at 8:00am.

FAQs about the 2026 edition of San Fermín

Q. When does San Fermín 2026 begin?

A. July 6.

Q. When are the San Fermín bull runs?

A. Every morning from July 7 to July 14 at 8:00am.

Q. Where can I report a theft during San Fermín?

A. The temporary Municipal Police complaints office is located at Calle Zapatería 40 and operates from July 5 to July 14, from 11:30am until 11:30pm.

Q. What is the emergency number in Spain?

A. 112

A fast-moving wildfire tearing through the Costa Brava has left more than 12,000 people confined to their homes as flames continue to spread across dry forest and rural land, with firefighters still unable to bring the blaze under control. What started as a local fire in Girona province has escalated into a serious emergency across one of Cataluña’s busiest coastal regions, with smoke, road closures and growing concern spreading well beyond the immediate fire zone.

For many residents, the situation has changed within hours from normal summer routine to being told to stay indoors, keep windows shut and avoid any unnecessary movement outside. With the fire still active and shifting unpredictably, there is a growing sense that the situation could worsen quickly if wind conditions change again.

A fire moving faster than crews can contain

The blaze broke out in the Baix Empordà area and was caused apparently by a man working with a grinder near a road, it has since ripped through more than 1,200 hectares of land, driven by dry vegetation and strong winds that have pushed flames through woodland and open countryside at speed. Firefighters are dealing with multiple active fronts, and despite continuous efforts, the fire has not been stabilised.

At points, wind shifts have caused flare-ups that forced crews to pull back and rework containment lines, slowing down progress at critical moments. Aerial support has been brought in to help tackle areas that ground teams cannot safely reach, but officials have warned that conditions remain unstable and difficult to predict, with no clear sign yet of full containment.

Holiday region hit by sudden disruption

The Costa Brava is one of Cataluña’s most visited coastal destinations during the summer, and the sudden escalation of the wildfire has caused disruption across a wider area than the immediate burn zone. Travellers in nearby towns have reported changing conditions throughout the day, with smoke occasionally spreading across roads and affecting visibility.

While not all tourist areas are directly in the fire’s path, the uncertainty alone has been enough to cause concern for those staying in the region. For local communities, the impact has been even more immediate. Normal daily life has effectively stopped in the worst-affected areas, replaced by updates, alerts and the constant sound of aircraft and emergency vehicles.

12,000 people told to stay inside as smoke spreads

The scale of the confinement order has added to the sense of alarm across the region. More than 12,000 residents have been told to remain indoors while emergency services work to keep the fire away from populated area, meaning entire neighbourhoods suddenly shut in, with residents advised to close doors and windows as smoke drifts across parts of the Costa Brava.

In some areas, visibility has dropped noticeably, with a strong smell of burning vegetation reported even in locations away from the main fire front. Road closures have also been introduced in several zones, not only because of the fire itself but to ensure emergency vehicles can move quickly and safely through the affected area.

Fire behaviour raising concern on the ground

One of the biggest challenges for firefighters has been the unpredictable way the fire is behaving. Wind shifts have repeatedly changed its direction, forcing crews to respond in real time as new hotspots emerge. The terrain is also making progress difficult.

Much of the affected area is made up of forest and scrubland, where access is limited and flames can spread quickly through dry vegetation. Fire crews have been focusing their efforts on protecting populated areas and stopping the fire from moving closer to residential zones, but officials have acknowledged that the situation remains highly changeable and far from secure.

Growing uncertainty as blaze remains active

Despite continuous firefighting efforts, the blaze is still not under control, and there is no confirmed timeline for when conditions may stabilise. The combination of wind, heat and dry land has created an environment where the fire can continue to shift and spread unexpectedly.

The scale of the response has increased throughout the day, with additional resources deployed to support local teams already stretched across multiple fronts. Even so, the focus remains on containment rather than extinguishing the fire entirely at this stage.

A region watching and waiting

For now, thousands of people across the Costa Brava remain indoors as the situation develops outside. The fire continues to burn across a wide area, and while emergency crews are working continuously to contain it, the mood on the ground is one of uncertainty. With 1,200 hectares already affected and multiple hotspots still active, authorities are warning that the situation could evolve quickly depending on weather conditions. What is clear is that this is no longer a small local incident, but a fast-moving wildfire that has placed an entire region on alert, with residents now watching and waiting as firefighters continue their battle against the flames.