Procession of mules and horses

Far ftom the seriousness of the square in front of the City Hall, which according to the programme is the starting point of the procession of "riders in the ring", mule-drivers and the band towards the bull ring, the ring officials and other members of the conunission gather in calle del Mercado. 

At half past five they are already in the City Hall square, ready to wake up the lazy people enjoying a lengthy siesta as they go. The riders -dressed in black and caped, with a cocked hat with white feathers- open the proceedings followed by the two groups of three mules with coloured ribbons and small bells, with their drivers and by La Pamplonesa band, which plays a loud pasodoble. The procession is watched by people heading towards the bull ring or those enjoying a coffee and liqueurs on the terraces of the main square, la Plaza del Castillo. And if there is still anyone dozing, the noisy bands of the Peñas arrive to compete with the official band in the multicoloured rows of seats of the bullring, which become a kind of gigantic loudspeaker transmitting the Ays! and Olés! of the crowd all over the city, depending on the perfonnance of the bulfflghters.