Las Ventas Bullfighting Ring

Las Ventas Bullfighting Ring was built to replace the bullfighting
ring located off the Aragon highway. The newer arena was built to be larger,
given that the seating capacity of the previous one was insufficient because
of the demographic growth that Madrid experienced during the first-half of the
twentieth century. The new bullfighting ring was inaugurated on October 12, 1934. It remained open without interruption until 1936, the year in which the Spanish
Civil war began. The construction was directed by the architect Jose Espeliu, who died without seeing his work completed. The ring is partially designed, using a Mozarabic style. The walls are inlaid with ceramic depictions of the shields of all the Spanish provinces, as well as their purely ornamental motifs.
The arena is 60 meters in diameter. The bullring has a seating capacity of 23,000 spectators. At present, 80% of the seats belong to season ticket holders. The bullfighting ring also has a Horse Arena, a Towing Arena an infirmary (which can be reached directly from the bullring), a chapel and a bullfighting museum, that are open to the public. Currently, the owner of the bullfighting ring is the regional
community government of Madrid, but various private companies manage it.
The bullfighting ring is on 237 Alcala Street. The fastest and easiest way to
get there is by metro Lines 2 and 5 that stop directly at the Las Ventas station
where the bullring is located. Alternative transportation to the bullring includes
taxi or car, although going by car is not advised due to parking problems.
All the seats are numbered and at the same time grouped in the following
three main areas:
Shade
Sun and Shade
Sun
Each of these areas is divided into several sections or Tendidos. The
Shade is divided into five Tendidos: 9,10,1,2 and Preferente .The Sun and
Shade is divided into Two Tendidos: 8 and 3 and the Sun is divided into four
Tendidos: 7,6,5 and 4.
Each Tendido is divided into five seating categories: Vip category: the three first rows are: barrera (barrier), contrabarrera (frontrow) and delantera baja (second row)
1 Category: row 1 to 14
2 Category: rows 15 to 27
3 Category: gradas
4 Category: andanadas