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Las Ventas Bullring Madrid (audio-tour)

237 Calle de Alcalá, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid

Description

The plaza de toros de Las Ventas is Spain's largest bullfighting ring with an arena 60m in diameter and a seating capacity of nearly 24,000 spectators. It was designed in Neo-Mudéjar (Moorish Revival) style with ceramic representations of the heraldic crests of each province of Spain and opened in 1931 in the Salamanca district of Madrid. There are 5 gates, each with a different purpose and 3 "toriles" for the bulls' entrance. The bullfighting takes places on Sundays (or holidays) during the Season from March to October and every day during the San Isidro Fiesta (San Isidro Labrador is Madrid's patron saint). The activity reviewed here is the self-guided audio tour, but private group visits can also be arranged (different price) in Spanish, French, English or Russian.

Access & Transport

The bullring is located at 237 Calle de Alcalá There is a dedicated metro station named Ventas (2, 5) and a couple of bus stops around (12, 21, 38, 53, 106, 110, 146). For the visits, the parking next to Las Ventas at 79 Calle de Roberto Domingo is the best option if space is available.

Instructions & Recommendations

*** It is advisable to book tickets online to ensure availability *** Note to parents: no minimum age applies but you should use your discretion in assessing whether the content is likely to be appropriate for your children. This activity combines well with an exploration of the Salamanca neighbourhood.

Meta review

Reviews - to the extent they are genuine - sing the same song: bullfighting is part of the Spanish culture, and the tour is extremely educational in that respect with some of the artistic aspects being well conveyed. Most foreign visitors state that this has not changed their mind about the show.

Environmental & Social

Environmentally neutral. Socially - a huge negative (bullfighting concept) mixed with a bit of positive (the artistic aspect)

Conclusion

We are a bit on the fence regarding the tour of Las Ventas; on one hand bullfighting is absolutely unconscionable, no matter how much "culture" you paint it with, but there are definitely a lot of artistic aspects to the show which are worth discovering. Hopefully, there will be an evolution that involves keeping the good but no live animals...

Key positive

An excellent introduction to the concept and experience of bullfighting

Impressive arena and building architecture

Key negative

Seems to ignore animal cruelty

A little expensive for an audio-tour

Suitability

Not recommended for younger children. The website states that the tour is wheelchair accessible.

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Last entrance with audioguide is 1h before closing. Closes at 14h30 on bullfighting days

av. transport time:0h 25m

est. visit time:1h 15m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Apr, 01

Season 1

MONDAY10:00 - 19:00

TUESDAY10:00 - 19:00

WEDNESDAY10:00 - 19:00

THURSDAY10:00 - 19:00

FRIDAY10:00 - 19:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 19:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 19:00

Start of Season 2:Nov, 01

Season 2

MONDAY10:00 - 18:00

TUESDAY10:00 - 18:00

WEDNESDAY10:00 - 18:00

THURSDAY10:00 - 18:00

FRIDAY10:00 - 18:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 18:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 18:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€13
Adult
18 - 64
€16
Teen & Young
13 - 17
€13
Child
5 - 12
€7
Infant
0 - 4
€0
Price for the audio-guide tour

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