Olé!
This is what you hear chanted at one of the regular bullfights that are held in Madrid. These fights are held in the Plaza del Toros, or Arena of the Bulls. Like what you see in the shows and movies, a matador swings a red flag at a bull as it charges towards him. He moves past the bull at the last possible second without getting hit, hopefully. It is intense and exciting to watch, and also traditionally Spanish and very Madridean.
Within a couple of days of being in Madrid, I had seen the bullfight advertised around the city, so I decided to look into it. Though it is relatively popular in Madrid, it is actually considered an illegal sport in many other parts of Europe. You might now be wondering why. Well, this is because the goal of the matadors is to kill the bull. If the matador fails this task, other workers in the ring come to kill the bull regardless, which is rather grim, if you ask me. The bull is then pulled out of the ring by processional mules as the crowd applauds, and then the next bull and fighter come out.
It is even said that after the bull is killed, they cook it and eat it to represent the circle of life. In total, there are three matadors that each take on two bulls, so six bulls in total. The event lasts roughly two hours. Though it is a legal and supported sport here, it is still a controversial topic. So, if you choose to attend one of these, be sure to keep that in mind. Some people see it as a cultural value and traditional practice that honors the bulls, while others see it as ruthless killings. I am somewhere in between.
Nonetheless, my experience attending a bullfight was quite an interesting one.
Attending the bullfight was one of the first memorable experiences I had in Madrid. I was shocked to see that it was indeed like what I had seen on television and that the atmosphere was so electric. I arrived with five new friends, and we were all first-timers. As you walk in, you can choose whether to politely decline or accept to pay for a seat cushion that workers try to sell you out front. It took a bit for us to find our seats as the stadium was quite large (and we were all directionally challenged), but we finally made it. The most expensive tickets are for seats in the shade, the middle ground tickets are for ones with half shade and half sun, and the cheapest tickets are in full sun. Being broke college kids, our seats were in the sun.
We were attending the first fight of the season, which was quite exciting. As we are taking our seats, we are introduced to the three matadors who are participating in that day’s fight. They perform in order of least experienced to most experienced, with corresponding smaller to larger bulls. I cannot lie, watching the fighters barely make it past the bull charging at them is a type of anxiety I never thought I would feel.
What made my heart race even more was seeing one of the bulls successfully get his revenge on a matador. Unfortunately for that matador, he was not quick enough for his angry bull that day. I was jumping out of my seat gasping as we watched him get hit. Imagine getting hit with the horns of a bull at full speed. The crowd went silent as we waited to see if he was okay. Thankfully he was okay, and it was reassuring to know that there is an infirmary on site in the arena. Though it was crazy, shocking, and concerning to watch, part of me was rooting for the bull. Like, yes! Get him for trying to kill you! But that is beside the point.
There are plenty of other nuances and practices that occur during the fights that I still do not understand, so Google will be your best friend if you choose to attend one of these. For me, attending this fight felt like the expression “when in Rome…,” as you are supposed to do as the Romans do. So, when in Spain, do as the Spaniards do, and consider checking out a bullfight. It was no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I will always remember.
And do not forget to say, olé!
