Teruel: 90 Years of Bullfighting History

In 2025, the Teruel bullring commemorates 90 years of history—an anniversary that few arenas can claim. This Aragonese venue reaches the milestone in fine form, marking the occasion with a fair that reflects both the strength of the bullring itself and of its summer festival, La Vaquilla del Ángel.

The programme features three bullfights, one rejoneo (mounted bullfight), one novillada with picadors and another without, offering something for every kind of fan. From the biggest name in the business—Roca Rey—to exciting young talents like Borja Jiménez and Fernando Adrián, who have made a major impact in recent seasons, the standout billing is set for Sunday 6 July with bulls from the Algarra ranch.

The lineup also includes a special “banderillero-style” bullfight—a format that peaked in popularity during the 1980s and once kept many fairs afloat. In recent seasons, several promoters have sought to revive this thrilling tradition. In Teruel, it’s Ferrera, El Fandi and Sánchez Vara who will take up the challenge on Friday 11 July, facing bulls from the Portuguese breeder Murteira Grave, in a duel with clear appeal for torista enthusiasts.

The company has made another nod to the purists with the final event of the fair on Saturday 12 July: another Portuguese encierro, this time from the emblematic Palha ranch. Their bulls will be fought by three renowned specialists in the genre—Javier Castaño, Emilio Serna and Gómez del Pilar.

The rejoneo event on Thursday 10 July also promises to deliver, with veteran Andy Cartagena, seasoned performer Andrés Romero and the young Sebastián Fernández—who is working hard to earn a place in the major fairs—all taking to the ring on horseback to take on bulls from the Campos Peña ranch.

The novilladas round out the programme. The fair opens on Saturday 5 July with a batch of young bulls from the French breeder Camino de Santiago for promising newcomers Tomás González, Pedro Montaldo and Juan Alberto Torrijos. Then on Monday 7 July, the non-picador novillada will feature erales from La Lucica, with aspiring talents David Sejas, Marco Polope, Pedro de la Hermosa and Daniel Moset stepping into the ring.

Local vaquilla releases and popular bull-related festivities—so deeply rooted in this part of Spain—complete the fair and reinforce the message that, in the world of bullfighting, Teruel truly does exist, as that well-known slogan once proclaimed. And may it continue to do so for many more years to come.