Frontón Labrit, the temple of pelota in Pamplona.

Also known as “la Bombonera”, the Labrit fronton of Pamplona keeps in its interior the memory of historical and epic pelota matches.

Paleta goma, paleta cuero, pelota mano or pala corta are some of the pelota modalities that take place day after day in the Labrit fronton of Pamplona, one of the historical frontons of our land. This fronton, owned by the Pamplona City Council, is one of the great meccas of Basque pelota, a space that has hosted, hosts and will host major events related to Basque pelota. The Labrit belongs to the group of frontons known as “short”, frontons of dimensions around 30 or 36 meters long, ideal for the practice of hand and short-range tools, leaving the long frontons, 54 meters long, for the game with long-range tools such as the pala, the remonte or the cesta punta. Do you dare to live an authentic Basque experience in the Labrit?

The atmosphere of the Labrit fronton is known in the 7 corners of Euskal Herria, an epic fronton, where the matches are usually played on Saturday afternoons, giving rise to a movie plan: Pintxo-pote, food in a gastronomic society, fronton and enjoy the night of Navarre, our plan, a luxury.

The Labrit fronton, small in size but big in atmosphere, is one of the most beloved frontons by pelota lovers. Its bleachers, located practically on top of the pavement, promote the warmth of the public, making the pelotaris feel even the smallest murmur generated in the stands. A great fronton, a beautiful experience.

Name: The Labrit pediment owes its name to the street where it is located, Juan de Labrit. Now, who was Juan de Labrit? Juan III, better known as Juan de Labret or Labrit (1469-1516), was the last king of Navarre, a king known for his wisdom and for introducing the printing press in the kingdom. Now, you already know that the pediment that occupies us today bears the same name as a Navarrese king, for a reason, right?

Its other name, its nickname, the bombonera, has nothing to do with its original name, quite the contrary, and alludes to the great atmosphere that is created on match days. A perfect atmosphere for big ball games.

Uses: The Federación Navarra de Pelota, the entity responsible for the management of the Labrit, uses the fronton for training and matches of the Navarrese clubs as well as professional matches. Although 99% of the Labrit is used for sports related to pelota, cultural and political activities are also held there.

Location: Located in the historic center of Pamplona, the Labrit fronton allows us to get to know this historic area of the city without wasting time in traveling, on foot.

Tickets and prices: The tickets, differentiated between court seats, second floor and second floor, usually range between 20 and 45 euros, being the court seats the most expensive and the second floor the most affordable. We opted for the second floor, the cheapest, 20 euros, the fronton is small and can be seen perfectly from any location. As you can see, the price of the tickets is not prohibitive, enjoying an experience like a pelota match at the Labrit has become the Basque experience par excellence. Are you up for it?

Bar: This fronton has a small bar where alcohol is allowed. The prices, similar to those of any other place in the vicinity, allow us to enjoy the game with a long drink in our hands. However, we recommend drinking responsibly, enjoy and let us enjoy.

Betting: Betting and Basque sports have always been closely linked. We, as good Basques, decided to bet €50 against the favorites, the result was to be expected, to lose. Of course, although the reds won with a clear advantage, the blues never gave up, a nice fight until the end.

Betting in the fronton adds a certain charm to the game, making the match more intense. Remember that you can only bet in the seating area, on the first floor. To be able to enter this area it is necessary to ask for a “txartela” that allows us to leave and enter our locality without any problem.

Our experience: We arrived in Pamplona -Iruñea in the morning, around 12 o’clock, perfect time to enjoy the atmosphere of the streets of the city with a magnificent pintxo poteo based on fried peppers and some broth as a side dish. After checking the good atmosphere that reigns in the streets of the capital of Navarre we went to a small txoko to fill our bellies in kuadrilla, in a good atmosphere and with better food. When we leave, we head to the temple of pelota, the Labrit. Let’s put ourselves in situation, match of the couples championship of the LEP.M (Liga de Empresas de Pelota a Mano), Olaizola II – Unturia vs Artola – Albisu, a match that, although it had a clear favorite, it gave us great moments with the txoko of the young Artola and the regularity of the favorite couple.

History: The Labrit fronton was inaugurated on June 24, 1952, in response to the great demand created by the people of Navarre and pelota professionals. Over the years, the Labrit has hosted all kinds of competitions, among which we highlight the World Basque Pelota Championship in 1963, the Basque Country Four and a Half Championship in 2000 and the World Basque Pelota Championship in 2002. The Labrit fronton was renovated in 1986 to adapt to the new needs of the pelota courts and the variations of modern pelota. Today, it is still a great fronton.

Competitions: This fronton, has been the chosen complex to host matches of great importance such as the Cuatro y Medio, Mano Parejas and Manomanista championships. But undoubtedly, the most important annual event at the Labrit is the final of the San Fermín Trophy, one of the most important Manomanista tournaments in Navarre. The most popular days at the Labrit are the Saturday matches, followed by Wednesdays, the day on which the selection of the material for the weekend match takes place.

The Frontón Labrit and its magnificent atmosphere never fail, reason enough to live in first person this incredible experience. Pelota is loyal to Labrit, what about you?