Las Ventas Bullring — Attraction in Madrid

If I could give a zero I would. I’ve always considered myself someone who appreciates cultural experiences while traveling—but what I witnessed at a traditional bullfight in Madrid was beyond anything I could have imagined, and not in a good way. It was one of the most disturbing, heartbreaking events I’ve ever attended, and I left the arena in tears, shaken to my core.

At first, it was almost misleading. The bull entered the ring full of life—alert, energized, almost joyful in a way. It reminded me of a big, playful dog, chasing the flag with a kind of innocence and vitality that was tragically beautiful. He had no idea what was coming. And as an audience member, neither did I. The first few minutes felt theatrical, even a little surreal, but then it quickly turned into something much darker.

Soon after, the so-called “tradition” took a turn for the grotesque. Men on horseback began stabbing the bull with long prods, and then others followed with sharp hooks and barbed spears that tore into his back, weakening him intentionally. The goal was clearly to drain the life from him slowly—physically and emotionally. Watching the animal stumble, confused and bleeding, while people cheered and clapped felt like witnessing a nightmare unfold in real time.

The bull, once proud and full of spirit, became visibly disoriented and broken. It wasn’t entertainment—it was torture disguised as tradition. I couldn’t stop crying. I wasn’t alone; a few other tourists were visibly horrified as well, some walking out before the end. I stayed far longer than I should have, frozen in disbelief and sorrow.

I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it. The image of that bull, full of trust and curiosity at the start, turned into a slow-motion collapse of suffering, will stay with me for a long time. It’s changed something in me—I can’t even think about eating meat right now without feeling nauseous.

If you’re ever in Madrid and consider going to a bullfight thinking it’s just cultural or harmless, please know it’s not. It’s not sport. It’s not art. It’s not tradition worth preserving. It’s animal cruelty on public display. And for me, it was a deeply traumatic experience I wish I...

The ~17 euro tour is not worth it. It's just the inside of the stadium 🏟 as you can see from the pictures. And if you are a true bullfighting afficionado, I am sure you would buy tickets to see a real performance. There are scalpers outside selling tickets for 60 euros.

But let me describe the tour experience in case it appeals to you. You get an audio guide, the type where you press numbered buttons at each point of interest. At one station they actually make you wait to take photos in front of a green screen. Then they photoshop some traditional costumes on your photo and attempt to sell it to you. This was annoying because we were already short on time and they only do one group at a time and the photos need time to process.

There's another station where you can put on some VR glasses to tour the stadium inside the stadium. Very meta. There's also a VR game you can play where you do bullfighting. There's only one of those but luckily there was no line when I went.

We waited in line for 20 minutes to get in. The line moves slowly because it's the same line whether you purchased tickets ahead of time or are paying on the spot. Then! they explain to each group how to use the audio guide and ask what language you want.

That's why we opted to buy on the spot. But we had our bills ready and weren't responsible for the hold up at all. If you buy online, you have to pick a time slot. It is 1-2 euros cheaper if you reserve in...

Excellent event to watch (score 5) but I have to give low score because not good customer services at the official ticket counters, who do not understand any Spanish language. There are different ticket prices depending on- i) circular position, ii) vertical height (lower or upper), iii) within shaded area or exposed to bright sun or mixed area & iv) viewing distance. Not enough guides from the official website or at the ticket selling official counters. On top of that there are several kiosks (temporary counters) and several peoples were selling physical tickets with cash. It proves, there is a high demand for tourist to watch this rich historical event from Spanish Culture. In addition, during the life bull fight, we missed the interpretation of the different actions, like, when spectators will stand up and show a white cloth? Is there any point or score for the bull fighter to kill the bull either quickly or gradually with style? Is there any use of chemical poison to make the bull die quickly with the sword? This is extremely brave action for all the team members to complete the task. All the techniques were similar and the end result is exactly the same.

Note: Of course, unlike myself, it is good to study before we make our travel plan for...