Latest
Category 2 Hurricane Isaias nears landfall, leading to production shut-insUkraine resumes attacks on Russian oil refineries, officials say, after brief truceBig Walk skipped Xbox to boycott Microsoft’s involvement with IsraelTrump’s ambassadors: the loyalists and allies at the center of controversyUS officials considering ad campaign to urge South African Afrikaners to emigrateGreetings from Mexico City, where a bullfighting ban doesn't stop this matador trainingTrump Says the Border Is Secure. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Keeps Declaring an Emergency.Category 2 Hurricane Isaias nears landfall, leading to production shut-insUkraine resumes attacks on Russian oil refineries, officials say, after brief truceBig Walk skipped Xbox to boycott Microsoft’s involvement with IsraelTrump’s ambassadors: the loyalists and allies at the center of controversyUS officials considering ad campaign to urge South African Afrikaners to emigrateGreetings from Mexico City, where a bullfighting ban doesn't stop this matador trainingTrump Says the Border Is Secure. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Keeps Declaring an Emergency.
← Top America

Matador Training Continues in Mexico City Despite Bullfighting Ban

Confirmed1 source · Oct 15, 2026

Practitioners are keeping the sport alive through underground training even as the Mexican capital prohibits the activity.

Matador Training Continues in Mexico City Despite Bullfighting Ban
Image via NPR

What happened

In Mexico City, where bullfighting is banned, matadors continue to train by practicing the sport in an improvised setup. Two individuals engage in the traditional bullfighting sequence—one playing the role of the bull and the other the matador—in what is described as a choreographed confrontation.

Context

The persistence of bullfighting practice in a city where it is prohibited reflects the tension between formal legal restrictions and the cultural practices of dedicated practitioners. The underground nature of the training underscores how prohibitions may not eliminate participation in activities that have deep roots in local tradition.