Is Bullfighting Undergoing a Revival? Over a million tune in as Morante de la Puebla rekindles Spain’s passion for the toros

BULLFIGHTING may have been written off as a relic of the past — a cultural tradition in slow decline — but a recent spectacle in Sevills suggests the so-called Fiesta Brava might be enjoying a dramatic revival.

More than one million viewers tuned in to watch José Antonio “Morante de la Puebla” perform at the historic Maestranza bullring at the start of the month, in what many are calling a performance for the ages. Canal Sur’s live coverage drew 725,000 viewers in Andalucía alone. A further 200,000 subscribed to the event via the pay-per-view service Canal Sur Más, and another 127,000 watched on YouTube — extraordinary numbers for a sport long thought to be in its twilight.

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The renewed interest may be thanks in no small part to Morante himself. At 45, the veteran torero delivered a breathtaking display of flair and tradition, evoking comparisons with legends of a bygone era. Awarded two ears for his work with his second bull, he held the arena spellbound.

El País critic Antonio Lorca described the moment: “The bull turned quickly and came within the torero’s jurisdiction, so Morante switched the cape to his left hand and delivered another long pass in the form of a natural, then a one-handed right pass, and another long one with his left hand… and so on for six, three with each hand, before wrapping the cape around his waist and finishing with a chest pass… as the marching band struck up a pasodoble and the crowd, standing, rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they’d seen.”

The rest of the afternoon’s bill offered little by comparison. The remaining toreros failed to leave a mark, and the bulls — from the Domingo Hernández ranch — were described as lacklustre.

But it hardly mattered. The buzz around Morante’s performance — and the staggering audience figures — has reignited the debate: is bullfighting making a comeback?

If this week’s numbers are any indication, the art of the arena may be far from finished.