On the mornings of the bull runs in Pamplona, there are four rockets that you will hear, and the safety of the people running with the bulls depends on the correct and prompt firing of these rockets.
The first rocket is lit at 8:00am sharp, signaling to the bullrunners and spectators that the gates have been opened at the corral on Calle de Santo Domingo where the bulls just spent their last night.
The second rocket signifies that all the bulls have left the corral and are now loose on the streets.
The third rocket is fired to tell the runners that all the bulls have arrived at the bullring, also known as the Plaza de Toros.
The fourth and final rocket is lit when all the bulls are inside the bullring’s corral.
The bulls are released each morning of the bullruns – July 7th, through and including the 14th – at 8:00am, sharp.