Number of bullfighting contests in Spain 2007-2021

In 2021, 824 bullfighting events took place in Spain. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this number of events was reduced to only 129 in 2020. Prior to this global crisis, the ocurrence of this type of festivities declined steadily from year to year.

Bullfighting in Spain

Bullfights or corridas have been registering very low figures in the last years, with the most recent data revealing only about 350 bullfights on the Spanish bullrings in 2019. This signifies that, although still culturally present, the interest in this historical contest is reportedly dropping among the Spanish population, with some regions even banning these events altogether. Even so, Spain still has over 60 bullfighting schools spread across the country, most of them located in the southern region of Andalusia.

San Fermin Running of the Bulls

Not every event that uses cattle as a central festive component involves bullfighting. The northern city of Pamplona, in the region of Navarre, hosts one of the most well-known festivities in the world: the San Fermin Running of the Bulls. In this ancient city’s narrow streets, many have been gored by bulls during these events, with the bulls from the ranch Jandilla ranking as the most successful in injuring runners in 2004. In the 2019 festival, the ranch La Palmosilla featured the most expeditious run, completing the planned route at 2 minutes and 12 seconds.