This year, Freesound celebrates its 20th anniversary, and Intangible Heritage has been chosen as the main theme of the celebration. Intangible heritage encompasses the ephemeral and immaterial elements that shape our world, whether rooted in human culture, natural environments, or the complex interactions between them. These sounds reflect what is fragile, ever-changing, and at risk of disappearing.
Inspired by this topic and supported by the Music Technology Group, Phonos and the City Council of Pamplona, Amaia Sagasti, former researcher and member of the Freesound team at the Music Technology Group, has carried out an initiative to create a repository of sounds from the well-known San Fermín festival.
Every year from July 6th to July 14th, San Fermín takes place, and the city of Pamplona/Iruña (200,000 inhabitants) hosts more than 1 million visitors, transforming completely. Every corner of the city fills with music and people. Beyond its iconic red and white colors and the strong smell of wine, one thing that truly stands out during San Fermín is the richness of sounds that surround the celebration, giving the festival a very unique identity.
During 2025 San Fermín festivities, microphone in hand, Amaia made numerous audio recordings across a wide variety of events, now available on the Freesound platform in a sound pack titled “San Fermín”. These recordings include a wide range of sounds from San Fermín, from the traditional songs like “Aurora a San Fermín,” “Ánimo Pues,” and “No te Vayas de Navarra” sung by crowds, to the thrilling sounds of the famous running of the bulls and the txupinazo (firework) that kicks off the celebration. The result is an open repository that lets anyone immerse themselves in the festival; not only those who have lived it firsthand, but also those who would like to experience it one day. Each sound is accompanied by descriptions in English, Spanish, and Basque, as well as an image and its location. Below are some sounds selected from the pack.
- July 6, 2025 – Recording of the “Gaiteros” or bagpipers playing “Ánimo pues”, after the Txupinazo that kicks off the San Fermín festival, at the Plaza Consistorial. The crowd sings along.
- July 7, 2025 – Field recording of the Santiago Choir performing “Al Glorioso San Fermín” or “La jota de tu Navarra” at “Plaza del Consejo” during the San Fermin procession.
- Field recording of “aizkolarak” or log cutters, a Basque-Navarrese rural sport at “Plaza de los Fueros” in Pamplona/Iruña during the San Fermín festival.
- July 7, 2025 – Recording of La Pamplonesa band playing “Jerusalén” song during the San Fermin procession.
- July 11, 2025 – Field recording of the running of the bulls. The ringing of bells, followed by the sound of a firework, indicate the start of the running of the bulls at 8 a.m. The bulls’ cowbells ring as they pass by.
- July 7, 2025 – “Txistus” and “Gaitas” instruments accompany the “Gigantes” and “Cabezudos” during the San Fermín procession.
- July 14, 2025 – Field recording of “Riau riau”, sung during the farewell of the “peñas” at the Pamplona Bullring, on the last day of San Fermin.
- July 12th, 2025 – Recording of street “txalaparta” instrument, performed by Ugarte Anaiak.
- July 7, 2025 – Field recording of Cristina Ramos performing “Que hizo a San Fermín llorar” at Calle Mayor during the San Fermin procession.
- July 14, 2025 – Field recording of “Pobre de Mí,” the act that concludes the 2025 San Fermin festivities. The “Pobre de mí” and “1 de Enero” songs are sung by the crowd.
The above recordings (and the rest of them that can be found in the Freesound pack), were carried out in the broader context of an acoustic monitoring research project that the Music Technology Group was carrying out in the city of Pamplona in collaboration with the city council and the acoustics engineering company Keacoustics. In this project, a network of custom-made low-cost acoustic sensors capable of sensing sound pressure levels and identifying various sound sources were deployed in the city of Pamplona. Taking advantage of the data gathered by the sensors, we were able to quantify the impact of the San Fermín festivities in the urban soundscape of Pamplona. The sensors were installed in different areas of the city before, during, and after the event, capturing continuous acoustic data. Our analysis revealed a significant transformation in the city’s sonic environment during the festival period: overall sound pressure levels increase significantly, soundscape patterns change, and the acoustic landscape becomes dominated by sounds associated with human activity. For those interested, the full text of the study, “When Pamplona sounds different: the soundscape transformation of San Fermin through intelligent acoustic sensors and a sound repository”, can be accessed here.
The sounds of the San Fermín festival, like so many others in our lives, are part of the intangible heritage that moves us and calls us to return; heritage that deserves to be preserved. With its extensive archive, Freesound offers a digital space where these sounds can be safeguarded and reimagined.
– Amaia Sagasti
on behalf of the Freesound Team