The 2010s were the most difficult years for the bullfighting industry.. On the positive side, Law 18/2013 recognized bullfighting as Spain’s intangible cultural heritage, and the Constitutional Court struck down laws aimed at ending these celebrations in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. To this must be added the rapid rise in the popularity of bullfighting, as during this period the number of births, bullfights, cow releases, or trimming contests jumped from 14,000 to 18,000.
However, there is no doubt that bullfighting has undergone a harsh campaign of harassment and destruction by numerous political formations, which, relying on lobby animal painter, promoted all sorts of obstacles against bullfighting. To this we must add the economic crisis that Spain suffered until 2014, the influence that the gradual demographic devastation of the rural areas where many celebrations took place, and the lack of renewal in the structures of the bullfighting sector itself, also plunged bullfighting into an endless one. problems and intrigues that complicate understanding between his different classes. Thus, the number of performances organized in the squares of our country in 2019 decreased from 2400 to 1400, with more than 80% of the fall occurring in the arenas of the third and fourth categories, which, although they have less artistic significance, are also the heart of the industry in rural areas and in inland areas.
It was then that the coronavirus pandemic broke out and bullfighting activity dropped completely, reaching 90% below the level reached in 2019 in 2020. Sanitary restrictions have made the show impossible, as 80% of the sector’s turnover comes from the box office. Faced with such a scenario, the bullfight seemed to have reached its bottom, and the possibility of a Fiesta was more doubtful than ever.
Restoration of bullfighting at the most unexpected moment
Precisely because everything was against it, it is striking that the 2021-2022 biennium shows surprisingly positive numbers that seem to confirm a change in trend. According to data just released by the National Association of Bullfighting Show Organizers (ANOET), the number of festive events planned from January to September increased by 14% compared to 2019a year before the coronavirus pandemic.
This shared data is added to many other microdata that They pointed in that direction. For example, in the Plaza de las Ventas in Madrid. The autumn fair increased the number of subscribers by 12%a good sign of a general increase in demand for these shows.
Similarly, if we analyze the season of the most active bullfighters, there is also a change for the better. It’s over the 2022 rankings will eventually be led by Morante de la Puebla, who is set to add 100 bullfights, more than double the 43 contracts with which El Juli topped the same rankings during the 2019 season..
So, despite the heavy blow that inflation takes to the pockets of all Spaniards, and the harassment by anti-bullying groups and animal groups, bullfighting finally has a reason to be satisfied. Good news for an industry that contributes $4,500 million to the economy as a whole Spanish.
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