The Bullfighting Season in Lima Approaches
Although bullfights take place in Lima, Peru throughout the year, it is during the November bullfighting season that the most prestigious bullfighters of Spain and the Americas come together to compete in the world’s second-oldest bullring, the 244 year old Plaza de Acho. The season is always tied into the Señor de los Milagros festival celebrations, and as such is called the Feria Taurina del Sr de los Milagros.
This year, the season begins on Nov. 1st and 
ends on Nov. 29th, with 05 bullfights and one horse show scheduled. There will be an event each Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm, and at the end of the season the bullfighter who has executed the best moves will win the 18k Escapulario de Oro (Golden Scapular), while the best bull wins the Escapulario de Plata (Silver Scapular).
Bullfighting’s popularity in Lima is rising even as the movement to ban it on the grounds of animal cruelty grows stronger. The issue has become more polarized, and each year there are fewer and fewer people without a strong opinion for one side or the other. Many travelers are horrified by the idea of bullfighting, and we ourselves are not interested in watching a match, because we’d be rooting for the bull. However, we do provide information to those travelers who ask us for information about attending a bullfight in Peru. These are usually travelers who are interested in experiencing a cultural event that they’ve never seen before, one they sense doesn’t have much of a future. Be warned, however: those interested in watching a match should be aware that in Lima it is to the death, and as always, the bull has the disadvantage.
Whether you join the spectators at the historic ring or the modern protestors along the city streets, you are guaranteed to gain some insight into Peruvian culture.
How to Get There
Tickets are sold at Teleticket shops at the Wong and Metro Supermarkets chain. You’ll have the option of sol, sun, and sombra, shade. From there, you choose which side and row. Prices range from US$20 in the sunshine to US$120 for the first row in the shade.
You can check newspapers for restaurant offers, as various locales offer special pre-event menus and then bus their clients to the bullring, a good option for those worried about going to the Rímac neighborhood of Lima and the Plaza de Acho bullring by themselves. (The area around the bullring is not one of the best in the city- it doesn’t compare to Miraflores, Barranco, Surco, or downtown.)