andyrich666

What a experience but this must happen on a regular basis because of the way people reacted.

There were 2 Major Bullfights in Sevilla over the weekend part of the end of Summer festival, I chose to goto the one on Sunday night but after a extremely fast drive from Gibralta after watching the Singapore GP, we arrived only minutes before the start, I managed to get parked the other side of river, went to the taquiler and bought two tickets for 32.50 € ea.

The tickets had a gate, row and individual seat number on, you would think thats job done.

As we entered gate 14 they said it was shut, too many people and was told to return to the ticket office, while we were arguing at the gate a stampede of people started running out of all the gates around the bullring and I just knew what was going to happen. Suddenly there are hundreds of people running (luckily I was ahead of most) towards the ticket office for a refund, I would say there was 300+ people trying to force themselves into this small ticket office :curse:, with some serious pushing, some small children aswell - although most people shouted the kids to be removed but nothing was done. I think this was more the children could push in easier than adults,

It was quite amazing disabled and pensioners pushing real hard to get there money back with all there energy, the same people who expect you to give up your seat in a bus, ha ha.

It really was something Ive not experienced before but the way people reacted it seems it happens quite often.

It did not really bother me, I suffered a bit of back ache and winding squashed in the force of the queue but I just think people who are not going to like this sort of thing should be aware it happens. If you think being treated like a animal on Ryanair is bad, you should never go to a bullfight in Sevilla or at least arrive early.

I just dont understand how you can oversell something so much if you have tickets with seat numbers etc on. Maybe somebody here with experience of this can explain, it does not happen at football (that I know of).

I was a bit gutted I missed it as it was one of the bigger fights this year.

I suppose if you have the stomach for a bullfight then you should be able to suffer the fight to get your money back, lol

If anyone here suffered a similar experience even if a different event, I would be interested to hear about it

Veleta

Wow. Sorry to hear of your horrible experience, and what a waste of your time!

I'm afraid the only occasion that I went to the Maestranza to watch a bullfight it got completely rained off, so I don't know if that happens often there. I've been to a couple of others in other places - Jerez, El Puerto - but I can't say I had your experience. As far as I'm aware everyone got their seat.

Thumbs down to the organisers at La Maestranza.

andyrich666

I have been to some others aswell including once Jerez, but this one It was special for the girl with me, so it was more for them than me which made it more dissapointing, never mind. I see the weather in Jerez is back to normal now, I was there middle of last week

ballin

eugh what a nightmare, nothing worse than having to queue for hours to get your money back, and usually being the unlucky one stuck behind the shoulder length greasy haired BO smelling hobo!

andyrich666

bad breath is all I could smell, my neck was up gasping for air, you are literally shoved close to the maximum that your body can take, I had a old guy with his walking stick shoved in my back for the majority of the time, the higher you got up the steps the better though and it was raining but not heavy, I think id have preffered that than the heat that is in Sevilla today

poshnbucks

Maybe they were running away having seen what a disgusting spectacle bullfighting is in the guise of heritage.

JnK

sorry, but I'm with posh on this one

Dick Dasterdly

Bullfighting is not really an honest description.
Its simply a one sided form of legalised torture.
Difficult to understand the attraction.
However it appears a large percentage of present day Spanish seem to be of the same opinion.
I think attendances have dropped by about 75% in the last 40 year or so and almost all the small town bullrings are either deserted or put to other uses like car boot sales or music concerts.
Only the more famous venues seem to be still in business.

Fred James

It depends on where you are. In Andalucia it is alive and kicking. Black market tickets for the recent Goya festival in Ronda were selling for 700€. The April Feria in Sevilla is the same - sold out.

In Motril (the second largest town in Granada) they recently completed a 16000 seater Plaza de Toros which is well used and in Almunecar they still have plans to build a similar complex.

Let's keep this thread to the original point and not descend into yet another Bull Fighting - yes or no thread - they never get anywhere. Some people like it some don't but it's a complete waste of time arguing about it as people's opinions are so entrenched that you never see a reasoned, well informed argument either way.

Dick Dasterdly

Point taken,fair enough Fred.
Your post more or less backs up what I said regarding the remaining venues.
I have travelled Spain quite a lot in recent years and seen deserted bullrings almost everywhere except big cities or famous venues.
The newer venues also put on other big attractions such as pop concerts or opera which helps justify their cost.
I did read the official "bullfighting" attendance figures in comparison to quite a few year ago and the drop of in total numbers to the present day is massive.
This is of course in contrast to the bull running which is still popular in even many small towns.

Fred James

Maybe it just because the cost of a ticket has risen to a serious amount of money at any of the better venues. The Toreros expect Premiership pay and that is reflected in the price.

The average Spaniard can no longer afford the price or prefers to spend the money on a ticket to a football match. The cheaper venues use very poor quality Toreros and bulls and often that is the reason why the first time tourist spectator is put off by an very inferior performance - which I have to admit can be dire. Attendance at the various bull running events is free - apart from the medical care needed if you get it wrong!

poshnbucks

I don't want to spoil the threads author who was informing those who like to attend such events but the breeders do take a lot of EU money from the cookie jar. I was rather taken aback the other day on Spanish television when the bullring shown was filled with school children who before them saw small 2 year old almost calf's put to the sword. My last comment on the subject as Fred pointed out.


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