FAQs

The bullfighting season in Madrid begins in mid-March and ends in mid-October.

Depending on what season of the year we are in, sunlight will dictate when the fights begin.

At the start of the season, which is early Spring, they will start earlier around 5:00 pm and as the days grow longer with sunlight, the start times are pushed back as far as 7:00 pm. 

When the season is closer to closing, when we get into fall weather and days are shorter, then times will again move back up closer to the 5:00 start times. 

These times are all confirmed by the Plaza a few weeks ahead of time.

A novillada or corrida de novillos is a training, or practice fight.

This is a bullfight between young bulls and matadors who have not yet become fully certified.

The prices are lower than the normal bullfights.

Yes, but they must be accompanied by an adult. 

Prices are the same for adults and children alike.

A bullfight usually lasts a minimum of 90 minutes but can continue up to 2.5 hours. (1 ½ – 2 ½ hours).

The First Act: La Suerte de Varas (The Act of the Lances)

The bullfight begins with the suerte de varas, where the matador and his team, including picadors on horseback, engage the bull with lances. This act aims to test the bull’s strength, bravery, and charge, and to weaken it for the following phases. The duration of this phase varies but usually lasts around 15 minutes.

The Second Act: La Suerte de Banderillas (The Act of the Bandarillas)

Following the suerte de varas, the matador uses banderillas, colorful sticks adorned with barbs, to further challenge the bull and showcase his skills. These banderillas are strategically placed on the bull’s neck while avoiding its horns. This phase, known for its intense moments, typically lasts around 10 to 15 minutes.

The Third Act: La Suerte Suprema (The Supreme Act)

The final and most crucial act of the bullfight is called la suerte suprema, where the matador aims to kill the bull with a well-placed sword thrust. The effectiveness and precision displayed during this act determine the matador’s success. The duration of this phase depends on various factors, such as the bull’s behavior, the matador’s form, and the reaction of the crowd. On average, it lasts about 10 to 20 minutes.

Overall Duration of a Bullfight

Considering the average duration of each act, a full-length bullfight usually ranges from 35 to 50 minutes. However, it is important to note that these durations can vary depending on multiple factors, such as the performance style of the matador, the temperament of the bull, and the dynamic interaction between both parties.

Additionally, the duration can be influenced by the number of bulls fought during a single event. Traditional bullfights typically consist of three or more bulls, which naturally extend the overall duration of the spectacle.

Bullfights are rain or shine. 

The only way a fight would be cancelled is if the rain is hard and continuous. 

If this happens, anyone having purchased tickets for that day will be able to get a refund of their ticket price by submitting them to the Teyci kiosk. 

This is only done if the cancellation happens before the fight begins, however, if the fight is cancelled after it has begun, no refund can be given. 

This is a good reason to check the weather forecast when choosing your attendance dates. 

In the 2014 season, none of the bullfights were cancelled out of more than 100 celebrations.

Yes, but only during the interim between bulls.

Yes, take as many pictures as you would like.

The further in advance you buy your tickets, the greater the opportunity there is to choose the best seats.

Tickets are available for purchase up to 72 hours before the event.

If you have bought tickets but are unable to attend the event and have not yet received the ticket, you can request a 75% refund by cancelling seven days prior to the event. However, if the ticket has already been delivered to your email, we are unable to process a refund.

For May tickets, we cannot issue a refund since May is the most important bullfighting fair in the year called Feria de Mayo so it is difficult to secure the tickets, that is why when you booked, it is automatically processed and we can no longer process the cancellation.

If, the event is cancelled due to weather or other factors, then you will receive the full price of the tickets.

Bullfighting has been one of the most controversial topics in Spain in recent years, and there are no signs of the debate cooling down anytime soon. 

With its being declared part of the country’s cultural heritage in 2013 by the national government while local anti-bullfighting measures continue to be implemented, there are strong opinions on both sides. 

So, what is it that makes bullfighting controversial in Spain? 

Here, we will discuss the major pro-bullfighting and anti-bullfighting arguments.

As of 2016, bullfighting is indeed still legal in Spain.

This was the year of a major court ruling on the legal status of bullfighting in Spain, which resulted in overturning the bans on the practice that had been in place in Catalunya and other places in the country. 

So, as it stands, the sport is fully legal in Spain. 

But what about other countries? Where is bullfighting still legal? 

What changes have been made to bullfighting to skirt around animal cruelty laws in other countries? 

And why is bullfighting still legal anywhere, given the large number of people who see it as a brutal blood sport?

Read on for the answers to these and more questions.

Bullfighting is still legal and practiced today in Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador.

In some cases, the type of bullfighting is not exactly the same as the traditional corrida which ends with the slaying of the bull (in Portugal, for example, fights are now only done on horseback, and the bull is not killed).

The sport has been completely banned in Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom. 

There are some countries which fall in a gray area, such as the United States, where modifications have been made to Spanish-style bullfighting to avoid injuring the bull.

Yes, bullfighting is still legal in Madrid and, since 2016, throughout the entire country of Spain.

Other regions and cities have attempted to impose local bans on bullfighting, but these bans were overturned by the national government.

Bullfighting continues to draw large crowds in Madrid at its main bullring, Las Ventas, short for La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas del Espíritu Santo.

Bullfighting season runs from March to October, but the best time to see one in person is May through June during the festival of San Isidro. 

During this time, there are daily fights over the course of 20 days, including young bullfighters fighting novillos, rejoneadores fighting on horseback, and traditional fights with the matador that is so firmly ingrained in the collective imagination. 

Outside of San Isidro, bullfights in Madrid are usually held on Sunday evenings.

Yes. In fact, Mexico is home to the world’s largest bullring, Plaza México in Mexico City, with a capacity of 48,000 people. 

The sport’s legal status does not apply nationwide, however.

It has been banned in three states: Sonora, Guerrero, and Coahuila. 

Bullfighting is still legal in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, as it is located in the state of Jalisco.

However, this wasn’t always the case. 

Bullfighting was banned in Mexico in 1890, which spurred bullfighters to move north of the border and likely had a strong influence in American rodeos.

The legal status of bullfighting varies from country to country in North and South America.

In the United States, the sport is not banned outright, but only a so-called bloodless form of bullfighting is allowed.

This version has become most popular in Texas and California, and unlike a traditional Spanish corrida, it does not end with killing the bull.

Two main versions of North American bullfighting exist.

The first is called freestyle, which is a type of bullfighting that was developed by rodeo clowns as they worked to protect bull riders. 

In this kind of fight, the bull is not provoked; instead, the fighter/clown uses a barrel to dodge a charging bull. 

This is a formally recognized sport organized by the WBC and the Dickies National Bullfighting Championship.

The second type of American bullfighting is native to California, where it was born in the heart of the Portuguese immigrant community. 

California instituted a ban on bullfighting in 1957, but later amended the law to permit a form of bloodless bullfighting under pressure from the Portuguese-American community.

This type of bloodless bullfighting looks more like a traditional corrida, but the animal is not actually injured. 

The bull is not killed, and instead of being stuck with lances, it has velcro patches on its shoulders, and the bullfighter throws velcro-tipped lances at those patches.

Despite causing no injury to the bull, this practice does involve intentionally irritating and provoking the animal, and there are many people in California (and elsewhere) who feel that this form of the sport should also be banned.

Essentially, yes, bullfighting is still legal because it is considered a tradition and an essential element of Spanish culture. 

In 2016, when Spain’s constitutional court overturned the ban on bullfighting in Catalunya, they described the sport as “one more expression of a cultural nature that forms part of the common cultural heritage.” 

The more cynical opponents will argue that continuing the practice is more about financial benefit than a deeply held respect for cultural tradition, however.

Many people concerned about animal welfare are wondering how bullfighting is still legal in advanced countries like Spain and France. 

As explained in the previous point, there are very vocal supporters of bullfighting who defend its centuries- or even millennia-long tradition.

Organizations such as PETA and Humane Society International want to put an end to bullfighting in all forms, but in Spain at least, the sport has some very powerful advocates. 

This was made extremely clear when the conservative Partido Popular majority party moved that it was against the Spanish constitution for cities to create their own bans on bullfighting.