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Bullfighting is still held in three bullrings on Mallorca, the only island in the Balearic Islands where it continues. Minors are also allowed to attend after a ban was overturned in 2025. Please act now to stop bulls being stabbed to death in Mallorca’s bullring.
© Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Mallorca Public Says ‘No’ to Bullfights
In 2015, Palma, Mallorca’s capital, declared itself anti-bullfighting, and around 80% of the island’s residents stated - and continue to state - that they have no interest in this violent industry. Despite this overwhelming opposition, bullfighting events are still held in three bullrings located in Palma de Mallorca, Inca, and Muro.
Bullfighting Returns to Mallorca
In 2017, the Balearic authorities introduced strict regulations and prohibited minors from entering bullrings. The Spanish Constitutional Court later overturned the law, disregarding the will of the overwhelming majority of Balearic citizens who oppose bullfighting. In 2024, the new Balearic government took things back even further by allowing minors under 16 to attend bullfights. This is completely unacceptable.
What Happens at a Bullfight?
During a bullfight, the terrified animal is chased around the arena until he is exhausted. A tormenter on a blindfolded horse will then drive a lance into his back, causing extreme blood loss intended to weaken him. More assailants will plunge banderillas – sticks with a harpoon point on one end – into the bull’s upper back, inflicting acute pain whenever he turns his head.
Once blood loss has rendered the bull so weak that he can no longer defend himself, the matador (which means “killer”) will stab him in the heart or lungs with a sword. Finally, a puntillero will sever his spinal cord with a knife.
The matador may cut off the bull’s ears or tail as a trophy, sometimes while the animal is still conscious. Thousands of bulls are killed this way in bullfights every year.
Torture, Not Tradition
A recent poll showed that 8 out of 10 Spaniards are against bullfighting. In 2025, Spanish animal protection groups delivered more than 715,000 signatures to the Electoral Commission as part of the “No Es Mi Cultura” citizens’ initiative, which sought to repeal the 2013 law designating bullfighting as “cultural heritage”. Although the proposal was ultimately blocked by the Spanish Congress, it became the most-signed citizens’ legislative initiative in the last decade.