Bullfighting is deeply rooted in world historical traditions. But today, local public opinion leans against tradition. Although the site includes information for tourists interested in attending the events, TripSavvy relies on its readers to make their own decisions about the ethics of bullfighting as an attraction.
To the delight of animal and bovine rights activists around the world, the Catalan government banned bullfighting in Barcelona and the Catalonia region in July 2010, and the ruling went into effect on January 1, 2012. Then, four years later, a Spanish court voted to revoke Catalonia’s bullfighting ban.
Of the three bullfighting arenas in Barcelona, ​​one of the last arenas still standing, La Monumental, now houses a museum on bullfighting, the Museu TaurÃ. Despite the ban being lifted, bullfighting has not returned.
If you are planning a visit to Barcelona and you really want to see a bullfight, then the closest bullfight is about 200 kilometers away, in Zaragoza.
The prohibition and the overturn
Bullfighting is a controversial issue for the region. The sport has been declining in popularity, especially in the Catalan region, which claims it has its own identity apart from ‘Spanish’ culture.
The Catalan parliament voted after a petition that had more than 180,000 signatures calling for a ban on bullfighting. The vote was approved. The last bullfight in Catalonia took place in September 2011 at La Monumental in Barcelona. Then, in 2016, the Spanish Constitutional Court overturned the ban and ruled that while an autonomous region can regulate bullfighting, an autonomous region is not in a legal position to completely ban such fights. The court cited the long and historic cultural history of bullfighting in Spain.
Since the ban was lifted, La Monumental in Barcelona has continued to be a museum promoting the history of bullfighting. In 2017, it hosted the Battle of the Nations Medieval Tournament that brought together teams from up to 25 countries competing with metal weapons and a standardized list of rules. But bullfighting has not returned.
History of bullfighting in Barcelona
The first recorded fight in Catalonia took place in 1387. The sport was popular in medieval Spain for the nobles. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that bullfighting in the region took shape as a modern spectator sport for the masses.
Historically, there were three bullrings in Barcelona dedicated to bullfighting. There was the Plaza de El Torin, which was built in 1834, but no longer exists; Plaza de las Arenas, built in 1900, which has been transformed into a shopping center; and the most recent bullring, the Plaza de Toros Monumental, or simply, La Monumental, built in 1914.
Bullfighting elsewhere
You may not be able to see a bullfight in Barcelona. However, if you really must see one while in Spain or in the region, there are several cities nearby where you can watch the bullfights. The best place to see a bullfight today is Madrid or Seville (although it is also practiced more or less throughout the country).
Taurine Alternative
There are many non-violent alternatives to bullfighting in the area, if you still want to soak up the Spanish culture, you can book tickets for a guided tour of the Museu Taurà if you want to show your appreciation for bullfighting in a decidedly less violent way. La Monumental is about 10 minutes from La Sagrada Familia, another popular tourist destination in Barcelona.
