The Plaza Monumental de las Ventas was built in 1931 and provides the awe inspiring setting for the bullfighting arena that it contains. One of the biggest in the world, the Plaza Monumental de las Ventas or Plaza de Toros is neighbored by the Museo Taurino, so even if you don’t actually have the stomach to watch the sport you can still learn about the rich culture that surrounds it in its museum.
The capacity for the stadium is 25, 000, and with the Moorish architecture designed by Espeliu it give one the impression of stepping into the ancient world rather than a contemporary form of entertainment.
The bullfighting season commences in March and runs all the way through October with fights being held each Sunday and holiday, plus daily fights being hosted during the San Isidro bullfighting festival which spans 20 days in the summer. For the most part bullfights tend to take place in the evening, usually starting at around 6 or 7 and then continuing into the night where the air has cooled somewhat allowing the spectators to sit comfortably until 10 or 11 o’clock. The stadium itself is split into sections with the most expensive seats being positioned in the shade making even the earlier part of the evening comfortable for those that can afford it.
It may seem that attending a bullfight is a terribly touristy thing to do, and this would be correct, but not to the exclusion of the genuine nature of the experience. In the early part of the twentieth century Las Ventas was purpose-built to deal with the sheer numbers of people wishing to watch the sport, the bulk of whom were locals wishing simply for a form of entertainment, much like going to football match or to the movies. Jose Gomez Ortega fathomed the idea to create a bullring so large and monumental that it would indeed not just allow all the opportunity to partake in the national pastime, or rather watch it, but to help concrete the pastimes place as the cultural outlet of the whole of Madrid a sport for the whole city and the entire of its population.
Today the arena is used not just for various types of bullfighting but also for political conferences and rock concerts. Tickets for the bullfighting can be purchased on line or at the box office itself between 09.00 and 14.00 for fights in the following 5 days, or until 19.00 for fights on the same night. There are six brackets of prices that depend on shade and proximity to the arena, ranging from 17 to 76 Euros.
Situated in the east part of the city access is possible via the Metro de Madrid and specifically line 5 on which you will find Las Ventas station, alternatively buses from the city are regular and you will see very well from the bus where to get off.
If one really wishes to get into the mood, one may choose to stay in the Hotel Reina Victoria which is in close proximity to the bullfighting ring and is in fact where the bullfighters themselves stay, however if 200 Euros a night is a little on the steep side, there is ample alternative accommodation options in the vicinity or in the town centre, ranging from hostels for as little as 16 Euros and very comfortable 3 or 4 star hotels starting at around 80 Euros per night.
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