Bullfighting is one of the oldest and most unique traditions in Mexico – and also one of the most controversial. The object of bullfighting is for the matador, or bullfighter, to kill the bull by placing a sword in a specific area between the animal's shoulders. The sport is legal in only a few countries worldwide, including Mexico, Spain, France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. Tourists hoping to catch a bullfight on a visit to Mexico can do so in the city of Merida, which is home to a bullring known around the country.
When to See It
Bullfighting doesn't occur year-round in Merida, and your best bet to witness a fight in person is during the Fair of September, known in Spanish as La Feria de Septiembre. The fair began as a rodeo, in which farmers and ranchers from all over Mexico would buy and sell livestock, but now its main objective is festivity and fun. One of the annual fair's most famous events is the bullfighting, which takes place in Merida's Coso de San Albin Bullring.
Tickets for bullfighting at the Fair of September must be purchased in advance. Buy them online through Servitoro; the deadline for purchase is usually in August.
What to Expect
The most common bullfighting format involves three matadors facing six bulls over the course of about two and a half hours. The event usually begins with a celebratory parade and proceeds with the first bull entering the ring to face the first matador. The matador carries a colorful cape, intended to agitate and manipulate the bull. Once the matador has taken sufficient control of the bull, he and his picadors – bullfighters on horseback, carrying lances – work to injure the bull and assess its reactions. In the end, however, the matador and bull face each other one on one, until the animal is ultimately killed.
In Mexico, children are allowed to observe bullfights with the company of an adult. However, take caution with bringing the kids to one of these events, as they can be quite gruesome.
Mexico has outlawed bullfighting twice in its history, but the sport is currently legal. Though bullfighting is a 500-year-old tradition, many Mexican people view it as cruel and unnecessary, and they push for its abolition, even participating in anti-bullfighting protests. Animal rights activists argue that while the objective of the sport is to kill the bull quickly and cleanly, that's often not the actual outcome, as it can take a matador several attempts to successfully kill the animal with a sword.
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