Can bullfighting be adapted to today's sensibilities without losing its essence?

Is bullfighting in crisis? At first glance, that's what one might think, given the rise of animalism , the political and institutional hostility the art of bullfighting suffers, and the growing generational disaffection with the festival. However, while bullfighting is undoubtedly experiencing a difficult situation, there are also numerous signs of optimism.

“If the bullfights were ending, would it be so difficult to find tickets for San Isidro ? To see so many young people in the stands, as we see? To witness the peak of the brave bullfighting scene we're experiencing? This is like that Gila joke where a couple is asked about their political affiliation, and they reply: 'We're very left-wing... but not yet.' The bullfights are going to end, yes, but not yet.”

With these words, punctuated by the applause of the audience, Rubén Amón kicked off the debate on bullfighting, held as part of the new series of cultural events being organized by Arquia Banca in collaboration with El Confidencial to analyze the contemporary phenomena that will define civilization in the coming decades. After examining the future of books and literature , museums and cinema , it was now the turn of bulls, whose future was debated by matador Roberto Domínguez , rancher Isabel Lozano, and journalist Pepe Luis Vázquez . Their shared diagnosis was: there are bulls here for a while.

“There's an extraordinary upswing; there's a lot of youth in bullfighting. The festival continues, despite everything,” noted bullfighter Roberto Domínguez. “I predict very good times for bullfighting. Society always swings in the wind, and now the pendulum is returning to the essence, to mystery, to truth , to something as transcendental as bullfighting,” said Pepe Luis Vázquez. “Bullfighters like Roca Rey are acting as a gateway for many fans. Roca Rey is a channel of emotions ; he has created a before and after, especially among young people,” asserted Isabel Lozano.

Bullfighting, they believe, suffers from three major misunderstandings . The first is political, as bullfighting is perceived as something conservative and right-wing , when in reality it is pure counterculture , something deeply uncomfortable, even punk. The second misunderstanding is thinking that bullfighting is not environmentalist. And the third is considering the festival as an act of cruelty against the fighting bull, when in reality the bull is loved and revered by fans of the festival.

Albert Serra 's documentary , everyone agreed, has contributed to boosting bullfighting. "It probably doesn't contribute anything to us bullfighting fans. But it does to those who aren't familiar with bullfighting," Domínguez emphasized. The Roca Rey phenomenon has also brought numerous new people to the bullrings, people who went to the bullring for a reason and many of whom have since returned after discovering something unusual and profound in bullfighting. "If Roca Rey is a hero for young people, it's because we're surrounded by false heroes, people who are nobodies, who haven't done anything, who are pure pretense. In bullfighting , there's never any trickery ," Pepe Luis Vázquez concluded.

The current bull's excellent condition was unanimously praised. " The level is extremely high, and it's only getting better ," emphasized Isabel Lozano, of the Alcurrucén ranch. "I don't think there has ever been a more complete bull than the current one," she remarked. And to this is added a generation of absolutely promising young bullfighters.

But the debate didn't just consist of praising bullfighting and defending its virtues. There was also room for soul-searching , self-criticism, and proposals for debate. Criticism was leveled at the cliché linking virility with heterosexuality, and calls for greater responsibility and a greater presence of women in the world of bullfighting were made. "It would be a good idea for some bullfighters and some banderilleros to come out of the closet ," Domínguez stated.

This bullfighter also put forward some proposals for adapting the festival to today's sensibilities, while maintaining its ritual and tradition. "Why don't we do away with the descabellos, the pinchazos, the puntilla, the cutting of appendages? Do we need to walk around the ring with a bloody ear in our hand? Let's think about it. The essence of the festival can't change, but the rest can be debated," Roberto Domínguez advanced, recalling that even when it was decided to put breastplates on the horses, there were those who threw up their hands, assuring them that this would put an end to bullfighting , and it's clear that wasn't the case.

By the way, the debate on bullfighting organized by Arquia Banca in collaboration with El Confidencial was held last Monday, instead of Thursday, the usual day for this series of cultural events. The reason is simple: we're in the middle of the San Isidro fair, Monday is the only day there's no bullfight , and none of the participants wanted to miss the bullfights. And then there's people talking about the crisis...