4th December 2023
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Court rules that options to spend €400 culture voucher can’t exclude bullfights

A Spanish court has ruled that a government scheme that grants youths a voucher to spend on cultural activities must be extended to include tickets for bullfights.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s coalition government in 2022 began offering a €400 voucher to young people after they have turned 18 to spend on books or tickets to the theatre, concerts or cinema. ALSO READ: Spain’s €400 ‘Youth Culture Voucher’ officially launched

The aim is to help Spain’s culture-related businesses recover from the loss of revenue during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. The scheme was modelled after similar initiatives in France and Italy.

Bullfighting businesses wanted to be included in the scheme too but the government ultimately decided that recipients could not use the voucher to buy tickets for bullfights.

The Fundacion del Toro de Lidia, an NGO that promotes bullfighting in Spain, took the government to court and on Tuesday Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that there was ‘no justification’ for excluding bullfights from the cultural voucher scheme for youths.

Spain’s cultural ministry said on Wednesday that in the wake of the court ruling it was opening ‘the possibility of including’ companies that organise bullfighting events or sell tickets to them in the voucher scheme.

Bullfighting retains a passionate following in Spain and leading matadors are treated as celebrities. But the practice’s mass appeal has faded, with polls showing a rising disinterest across Spain, especially among the young.

In 2021, the last year statistics are available, 279 bullfights were held in Spain, down from 387 in 2017 and 810 in 2008, according to culture ministry figures.

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

 

Recent Posts

Israel recalls Spanish ambassador after ‘outrageous remarks’ by Pedro Sánchez

News Desk

Four migrants die after being pushed out of a boat just metres from beach in Andalusia

News Desk

Pedro Sánchez: ‘I have serious doubts Israel is complying with international law’

News Desk

Catalonia in ‘pre-emergency’ drought alert, and may need water shipped in

News Desk

Spain ready to sign deal with UK on post-Brexit status of Gibraltar

News Desk

Spain’s €1.4 billion plan to help protect Doñana National Park from drying up

News Desk

Leave a Comment