Mérida Doubles the Spectacle

Since businessman and cattle breeder José Luis Pereda — also the owner of the Mérida bullring — took charge of organising the bullfighting events at the San Albín arena, the bullfighting scene in Mérida has been steadily growing. The promoter from Huelva began by changing the traditional dates of the festivities in this beautiful city. Once he secured a new slot in the calendar — the last weekend of April — he set to work.

He first convinced top-tier matadors to return to this stunning Neo-Mudejar-style bullring, and then focused on promoting the events held in this century-old arena, located on the Cerro de San Albín. Although it holds a second-tier administrative classification, its location, features and facilities make it an ideal place for artistic bullfighting — especially in spring.

In 2025, the offering expands: instead of a single event as in previous years, two major bullfights have been scheduled. A perfect excuse to enjoy a weekend break in this World Heritage City, declared as such in 1993 for its remarkable archaeological wealth — most of it from Roman times — including the iconic bridge over the Guadiana River, the Acueducto de los Milagros, and above all, its world-renowned Roman theatre.

This historical setting provides the perfect backdrop to explore the city between one bullfight and the next. The first event will take place on Friday, 25 April, and features three exciting young matadors:

• Borja Jiménez, last season’s breakout star with triumphs in Seville, Madrid, Pamplona and Bilbao,

• Ginés Marín, a key figure of his generation and a fan favourite,

• and David de Miranda, from Huelva, known for his upright, vertical style of bullfighting — a style that saw him open the Puerta Grande in Madrid and cut ears in Seville’s La Maestranza last season.

As a prelude, the event will also feature the debut of rejoneador Adrián Venegas, a young rider from Almendralejo who is one of the most promising names in mounted bullfighting. Despite having had few chances so far, he has already made a strong impression on aficionados. The bulls for this event come from Salvador Domecq, while the bull for the rejoneo will carry the colours of Campos Peña.

On Saturday, 26 April, a stellar line-up of three matadors from Extremadura takes the stage:

• Antonio Ferrera,

• Miguel Ángel Perera,

• and Emilio de Justo.

Three very different styles, but all of them established stars on the main Spanish fairs and admired throughout the bullfighting world. It’s no surprise that Extremadura is considered today’s most prolific region for bullfighting talent. The bulls for this event come from José Luis Pereda’s own ranch.

With this powerful offering, Mérida is asserting itself as a major bullfighting destination in a province already at the forefront of this art — not only in terms of breeders and matadors, but also in terms of its bullrings and prestigious fairs. Fans will travel not only from across Extremadura, but from every corner of Spain and even neighbouring Portugal. The line-ups speak for themselves — and the experience is worth the journey.