Spain is famous for its delicious food, landmarks, and football, but with it, Spain has one more thing that attracts tourists: bullfighting. Bullfighting Season in Spain celebrates courage, artistry, and tradition where each fight tastes like death.    

The Bullfighting festival is especially for adventure lovers. If you are also an adventure lover, this festival should be on your bucket list for every Spain trip. 

In this blog, you will know all about bullfighting – history, time, and places…  

What Is Bullfight

A bullfight is known as a game of death because this fight ends with the death of one of the fighter.  

This game of death always takes place in a round-shaped ring made of sand and runs for almost 2.5 hours, in which three Matadors (Bullfighters) fight with six bulls. Each of them fights with two bulls and the fight ends with putting the sword in the shoulder of the bull to kill him. 

This fight has three categories which are –

Tercio de varas: This is the first stage of the fight, in which the fighter rides a horse and tries to weaken the bull by lancing in his neck with the help of a sword.

Banderillas: In the second stage of the fight the bullfighter fights with the bull on foot and tries to make the bull angrier or more aggressive by putting a colorful sharp stick on his neck and with a red cloth.

Muerte: And this is the last and final stage of the fight. In this stage, the bullfighter wears a rap cape and fights with the bull with the help of a sword to kill him, and with the death of the bull, he wins the fight and receives an award for his performance.  

 History Of Bullfighting

Some people call it traditional or some people call it a game or harshness or cruelty on animals but, according to the Romans it is their tradition which belongs to their history and ancient time, that’s why they are still celebrating this Bullfighting festival every year in Spain from the end of the March to early October. 

According to history, bullfighting took place in Spain during the Roman Empire, where bullfighting and animal combat were popular forms of entertainment. 

In Spanish culture, bullfighting is the symbol of novelty & the bull is the symbol of strength, confidence, and stamina. They call it a fear dance between human and beast and people enjoy this dance & celebrate this Bullfighting season in Spain.

Note- Every year, approximately 18,000 bulls are killed in bullfights around the world, so in many countries, bullfighting is banned. 

 Major Bullfighting Festivals In Spain

Three major bullfight festivals that held every year in Spain – 

1)The San Fermín festival in Pamplona– This is the biggest bullfight festival in Spain that runs a whole week with a lot of celebration. That began on July 6th and continued till July 14th in honor of Saint Fermin. In this festival, before the fight, the participants run ahead of the group of bulls and lead them to the rings. And this excites them more.

2)The famous bullfights in Madrid- Madrid is another key hub of bullfighting in Spain and has the most famous bullring “Las Ventas bullring” in the world. The top bullfighter all around the world competes with bulls here and show their power or patience which attracts the crowd a lot. 

The Bullfighting Season: When and Where?

The Bullfighting Season in Spain takes place at a fixed time in the year and fixed place, so every bullfighter lover should be aware of these places and times.  

Time – Typically these bullfight seasons are organized from the end of March to early October in different areas of Spain. 

Places– If you planning to watch a bullfight then here are some places in Spain where you can watch this festival; 

1)Barcelona 

2)Madrid 

3)Seville 

4)Ronda 

Barcelona Bullfighting  

Barcelona is the capital of Spain and the biggest bullfight festival in Spain takes place here. But since 2020 bullfighting has been banned here because of a petition by an animal rights platform called ‘Prou!’ which means “Enough”!  So after 2011, there were no bullfights held in Barcelona. 

Madrid Bullfighting 

Madrid is the home of the bullfight. The largest bullring in the world is in Madrid, Spain and the famous bullfight also takes place here. The name of this bullring is Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. At a time almost 23,000 people can watch the fight in this ring.   

Madrid’s famous bullfight is a mixup of passion, skills, and tradition. 

Seville Bullfighting  

This is also the part of Spain where bullfights take place like other places in Spain. There is a historic bullring named Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, since 1761. 

The Bullfight season in Seville runs from April to October, with the peak of the spring season during the Feria de Abril (April fair) and Semana Santa (Holy week). Feria de Abril is one of the most important events in Seville’s calendar, because during this fair, Seville hosts a bullfight every day, attracting top-tier bullfighters. 

Note- If you are planning to watch a bullfight in Spain, then don’t forget to book your Spain visa with SPAIN-VISA to get your visa faster …!!! 

Conclusion 

In Conclusion, a tradition or controversy, bullfighting season in Spain is not just a sport: it’s a powerful fusion of tradition, passion, and cultural pride that is rooted in the country’s cultural heritage. The bullfight season in Spain is a blend of passion, skills, and history. 

So if you are ready to immerse yourself in Spain’s rich cultural history and adrenaline-fueled excitement, make sure to add the bullfighting season in Spain to your bucket list.if you are planning any trip, then remember your unforgettable experience starts with the right preparations, so don’t forget to book your Spain Visa from UK with SPAIN-VISA…!!! Happy weekend Ahead.