Plaza de Toros de las Ventas: Madrid's Iconic Bullring

The construction of Las Ventas bullring, which would replace the old bullring dating from 1874, began with the placement of the first stone on March 19, 1922. The land was donated by the Jardón family to the Madrid Provincial Council, with the condition that they could run the arena for fifty years.

The construction of the Las Ventas bullring was finished in 1929. The project cost 12 million pesetas, which was 4.5 million over budget.

Las Ventas was inaugurated on June 17, 1931, with a charity bullfight that filled the venue to capacity. Prior to this, bullfighting had gained momentum, and the former main bullring, Fuente del Berro, was no longer sufficient.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Las Ventas bullring was repurposed and used as a Francoist concentration camp. Bullfighting activities were suspended during this period and did not resume until May 1939.

The bullring was designed by architect José Espeliu in the Neo-Mudéjar style, characterized by ceramic incrustations and representations of the coats of arms of Spanish provinces. The arena itself measures approximately 65 meters in diameter.

Las Ventas is the largest bullfighting ring in Spain and the third-largest in the world, with a seating capacity of 23,798. It remains a primary venue for bullfighting, second only to Plaza México in size among operational rings.

In 1994, Las Ventas was officially designated as a Monument under the category of Non-movable, qualifying for Spanish Cultural Heritage status (Bien de Interés Cultural). Its reference number is RI-51-0008990.

On July 2, 1965, the iconic British rock band The Beatles performed a concert at Las Ventas. This event highlights the venue's use beyond bullfighting, attracting major international musical acts.

Australian rock band AC/DC performed at Las Ventas in 1996 as part of their Ballbreaker World Tour. The performance was recorded and released as the concert video _No Bull_.

In 2008, the Las Ventas arena was temporarily transformed into a clay tennis court to host the Spanish Davis Cup Team's semifinal match against the United States, which Spain won.

Since 2014, the venue has been adaptable for theatrical use under the name Gran Teatro Ruedo Las Ventas, offering a capacity of 858 seats. This marks a diversification of its function beyond its original purpose.