The bullfighting summer at Las Ventas bullring, that temporal space that takes place between the months of August and September, is a black spot in the Madrid season.
Read more Should a bad review be posted about a small, cheap restaurant?
The managing company Plaza 1 announces bullfighting events because it is established in the terms of the contract signed with the Community of Madrid, owner of the arena, but the prevailing impression is that it does so reluctantly, just to get by, perhaps convinced that times have changed, and that the owner’s insistence that Las Ventas continue to be a seasonal bullring, from March to October uninterruptedly, is an outdated approach widely surpassed by modernity.
Who knows if that is the reason why the bull and bullfighter posters lack appeal, arouse very little interest, and confirm that this summer period is a problem that demands a serious and urgent solution.
It is not about scheduling posters because the mandate is in a contract; it is not about maintaining the seasonal bullring status against all odds as if the prestige of Las Ventas depended on it; it is not about quantity but quality. Moreover, it would be, in any case, common sense.
The bull and bullfighter posters of the Madrid summer lack appeal, arouse very little interest, and confirm that this bullfighting period demands an urgent change
Las Ventas bullring does not hold the title of “the most important in the world” because it announces bullfights in August and September and holds 64 events a year, but because it is supposed that the bulls and bullfighters who step into its ring are the most outstanding, because the demands of the governing teams and the fans grant a high category to the triumphs, and because these are worth their weight in gold, with enough strength to place those who achieve them on the threshold of glory.
First of all, it is questioned whether the Community of Madrid, the author of the contract, has this approach clear or not, stubborn in maintaining technical specifications of the bullring exploitation contract that made perfect sense years ago and have lost it as the 21st century has progressed. Today’s Spanish society is very different from that of the 80s and 90s, and just as bullfighting companies are asked to adapt to new times, public owners of bullrings must also review their conditions.
In other words, there are neither fans nor spectators for Las Ventas to maintain the minimum necessary interest as a seasonal bullring. And the data are irrefutable: in the three bullfights and the rejoneo show held in August and the two events in September so far, attendance has hovered around 7,000 people, according to figures provided by the company, although the visual impression is that the stands have not really been filled even to a quarter of capacity (5,741).
It is understandable that the El Toro de Madrid Association, the only group of fans truly interested in what happens in the bullring, pressures to maintain the summer events, but that request resembles more a cry for help so that Madrid does not lose its “prestige” than a logical and fair reasoning because reality is undeniable.
The current contract is valid until August 29, 2027; theoretically, at least, because Plaza 1 could access a second year extension until 2028. There is time, then, for analysis and correction of a rule that has become obsolete.
This issue affects a second responsible party: the company Plaza, which designs the summer posters.
It is not necessary to emphasize that everyone who dresses in lights has the utmost respect and admiration from all, but Las Ventas should not be a bullring of opportunities for bullfighters who reached their peak in their respective careers long ago, and for breeders with no merit to step into its ring. Young people with potential and established masters should come to the Madrid bullring. That simple and that harsh. In the Teatro Real or La Scala in Milan, for example, the best performers are announced, not those who no longer contribute anything to music fans.
The prestige of Las Ventas is not based on announcing events in August and September and holding 64 shows a year
Regarding the summer posters, an impossible-to-answer question arises: what are the criteria for choosing bulls and bullfighters? The impossible answer is a consequence of Plaza 1’s total lack of transparency, so any uncomfortable question will be answered with an evasive related to the privacy of business management.
But what could it be? Do they perhaps attend to the most insistent breeders and bullfighters who bother the company the most with their constant requests? Could be. Are they the cheapest? Could be. Why not attend to those who really matter, young people with possibilities and in need of real opportunities and not bullfights destined for failure? Mystery. This detail could open another debate: Is it so difficult to design interesting posters without resorting to the stars? Is it because the current management cannot do more or simply because it is an improvisation knowing it must fulfill a mere commitment?
By the way, what does the Center for Bullfighting Affairs and its board of directors, which must approve all posters, have to say about this problem? Do they approve the summer programming? Or do they not care?
Although it may seem so, this is not a trivial matter. Either the Community of Madrid is wrong with its outdated demand or the company Plaza 1 with unbearable posters. Or both.
At some point, a serious approach to the bullfighting summer at Las Ventas would be appropriate. It is clear that the current offer does not interest; there are the attendance data. It is evident that the bullfighting summer is exclusive for the fairs.
