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Plaza del Toros. Picture By jeffwarder.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Plaza del Toros

Bullfighting is one of Spain’s most enduring traditions and an integral part of its culture, and the Plaza de Toros, or bullfighting ring, is home to some of the most exciting bullfight events in Spain and one of the world’s most renowned bullfighting plazas.

This massive bullfighting ring, also known as Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, is located in the Guindalera quarter of Madrid’s Salamanca district, just northeast of the city center. It was designed by renowned architect José Espeli, who used a Neo-Mudéjar style popularized by the Arabic Moors of the 12th century.

This gives the structure an ancient appearance, despite the fact that it was built many years later. 

Let us look at some of the interesting facts about Plaza del Toros in this article. The following are the top ten;

1. Plaza de Toros features a wide public square with a bullfighting ring

Plaza de Toros Bullfighting ring. By Remux.

The Plaza de Toros, located east of central Madrid, has a large public square with a bullfighting ring built in the Mudéjar (Moorish) style. Its coliseum-style arena seats slightly more than 23,000 people.

Making it the largest in Spain and one of the largest in the world. Bullfights are held here on a regular basis from mid-May to September. There are daily fights taking place during the week-long San Isidro festival in May.

The Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum), located behind the bullring, provides an in-depth look at the history and evolution of this divisive Spanish tradition.

2. This is where the Beatles held their first concert in Spain

A massive clean-up operation, combined with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, resulted in the Plaza de Toros being re-opened in 1939, a decade after its original construction.

Apart from the annual schedule of bullfights during the season, the Plaza de Toros has also hosted opera performances, weddings, traveling circuses, car shows, and rock concerts – the Beatles performed here for the first time in Spain when they visited Madrid in 1965. Other notable performers here have included Prince, Sting, and B.B. King.

3. There are several statues outside the arena

The statute outside the arena. By Ytha67.

The bullring’s main entrance, which features a grand Moorish arch, is appropriately dubbed “The Doorway to Eternal Glory.” The ultimate dream of any young torero is to be carried through here, high on the shoulders of aficionados (bullfighters).

Several statues outside the arena pay tribute to important figures in the Spanish bullfighting world.

The monuments of two bullfighters, Antonio Bienvenida, a celebrated torero during his heyday in the 1970s, and José “El Yiyo” Cubero, a beloved matador who was only 21 when he was gored through the heart by a bull, are right by the main entrance.

4. In the arena is a bronze bust of Scottish doctor Alexander Fleming

Surprisingly, a bronze bust of Scottish doctor Alexander Fleming stands alongside these bullfighting icons.

Fleming’s discovery of the antibiotic penicillin saved the lives of many bullfighters who had been stabbed by bull horns. As a result, bullfighters raised funds in 1964 to erect a monument in Dr. Fleming’s honor.

The monument includes a statue of Fleming and a matador tipping his hat to the scientist in recognition of his contributions.

5. The plaza’s bullring is divided into ten tendidos

The bullring in the plaza is divided into ten tendons (sections) that radiate from the sandy central ring.

The rather uncomfortable stone seats are priced according to how much sunlight they receive, with the most expensive seats in the Sombra (shade), the cheapest in the sol (sun), and the midrange seats in the Soly Sombra, or partial shade. Under the sun, the most ardent bullfighting fans gather in Tendido 7.

6. Museo Taurino

Museo Taurino,Madrid. By Carmen mou.

The Bullfighting Museum, located behind the arena in the “Patio de Caballos,” is dedicated to the history and culture of bullfighting.

Three large rooms display elaborate bullfighting costumes and accessories, busts and portraits of famous bulls and toreros, and original posters advertising historic fights.

The walking capes of famous bullfighters, such as the pink and gold ensemble worn by Manolete, one of the most famous matadors of all time, who died in the ring in 1947, can be found in the Trajes de Luces (Costumes of Lights) section.

7. Plaza Toros Las Ventas is the third largest bullring in the world

Hortelano was the first bull to rush onto the new bullring floor. The first bullfighter, nicknamed “Aguililla,” faced the bull, and the first music heard in the arena, played by the Municipal band, was Espaa cai, the pasodoble.

Plaza Toros Las Ventas is the world’s third-largest bullring. The Plaza de Toros México in Mexico City is the largest, and the Plaza de Toros Monumental de Valencia in Venezuela is the second largest.

Plaza Toros Las Ventas is, of course, Spain’s largest bullring. It has a capacity of 25,000 people and a diameter of 60 meters.

8. It was built not only to replace the former Madrid bullfighting ring—the Carretera de Aragon

The Plaza de Toros’ construction began nearly 90 years ago, in the spring of 1922. It was built not only to replace the former Madrid bullfighting ring, the Carretera de Aragon, which was built in 1874, but also to provide a more modern setting for such events while retaining an ancient old-world feel.

The project cost 12 million pesetas in total, one-third more than expected, and although the plaza was finished in 1929, it wasn’t officially opened until June 1931.

Following its inauguration in 1931, the Plaza de Toros was almost immediately closed down to make some critical and necessary improvements. It would not reopen until October 1934. It was also closed during the Spanish Civil War.

9. The plaza is a tourist attraction site

Tourists touring Plaza del Toros. By Rodrigo Pereira da S.

While bullfighting is held in the Plaza de Toros from March to October, the best time to visit is between May and June, during the San Isidro Festival, a city-wide celebration honoring the city’s patron saint.

With daily bullfighting events for three weeks, this is unquestionably the most celebrated bullfighting festival in the world. Fights usually start between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. at Plaza de Toros and last two to three hours.

Because of the festival’s popularity, tickets may be difficult to obtain. So it’s best to plan ahead and purchase your bullfighting tickets online as part of a larger package.

Many of these packages also include a guided tour of the  Plaza de Toros, allowing you to explore the intricate details of the architecture both inside and outside the arena.

10. The building has three cultural halls

Constructed in a Neo-Mudéjar style with hand-painted tiles, it houses an important bullfighting museum. This illustrates the history of Las Ventas.

It also has a chapel devoted to the Virgen de Guadalupe and to the Virgen de la Paloma, patrons of Mexico and Madrid, respectively. The bullring also has an infirmary equipped with the latest technology and two complete operating theatres.

It also has three cultural halls: Antonio Bienvenida Hall, Antoñete Hall, and the  Cossío Hall, which is also home to a small library with more than 2,000 volumes. Exhibitions and informative events are held in them throughout the season.

Since 1994, the building has been considered to be a Site of Cultural Interest in the category of Historic-Artistic Monument.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Address: Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Calle Alcala, 237, 28028 Madrid
Tel: 91 356 22 00
Metro: Lines 2 and 5.
Website: