Alicante Bullfighting Fair 2024: The Flame of Bullfighting

Fogueres de Sant Joan - Feria de las Hogueras de San Juan 2024

‘The Alicante Bonfires Fair, where fire and bullfighting passion come together in a dazzling spectacle’.

The Hogueras Fair is the bullfighting reference of the province of Alicante, a land that once had festivities in Benidorm, Elda, Monóvar, Ondara, Villena… towns that have been losing presence in the bullfighting calendar, even to the point of ceasing to celebrate shows in some cases. However, the capital’s bullring resists proudly against the passage of fashions and impositions, shines with the splendour of always, and every June for San Juan it claims spotlights and protagonism.

In the heat of the fire and the beginning of summer, both the fans of the region and the holidaymakers drop by this bullfighting mosque located in Plaça d’Espanya to see the figures in posters with finish and arguments. The 2024 edition is no exception. The company Eventos Mare Nostrum SL, with Nacho Lloret at the helm, has designed a programme that accommodates all tastes and styles. From the figure of the land, José María Manzanares, to the most box-office bullfighter of the moment, Andrés Roca Rey, who will face each other mano a mano in the most finished poster of the cycle, on Saturday, June 22, with bulls from three ranches: Jandilla, Victoriano del Río and Daniel Ruiz.

Enrique Ponce's farewell, the last time he will fight in Alicante

The other great attraction of the cycle is the farewell of Enrique Ponce, idol of the Alicante fans since his great triumph in the Hogueras Fair of 1992, in which he cut four ears and became the main protagonist. Since then he has not stopped bullfighting or triumphing in a square that has seen him from pardoning a bull of Juan Pedro Domecq in 2009, to suffering a serious accident by a bull of Torrestrella five years before. Alongside the master of Chiva will parade on Sunday, June 23, José Antonio Morante de la Puebla and the young Tomás Rufo, to account for a lockdown of Daniel Ruiz.

The evening of San Juan

The torista touch also has a place in the cycle, to finish it, on the day of the patron (Monday, June 24). Victorino Martín repeats in the subscription after his success last year, in a combination that make up Rafael Rubio “Rafaelillo”, Manuel Escribano and Borja Jiménez who debuts in Alicante after triumphing big with this ranch last October in the square of Las Ventas. Before, another top-notch poster: Sebastián Castella, Alejandro Talavante and Daniel Luque, with bulls from Zacarías Moreno (Friday 21).

Bullfighting - 16 May 2024

The rejoneo show, which opens the fair on Sunday 16, with Andy Cartagena, Diego Ventura and Guillermo Hermoso (bulls from Bohórquez) and the picada novillada, on Thursday 20, in which, with utreros from Fuente Ymbro, that sensation called Marco Pérez will be presented alongside the local novilleros Kevin Alcolado and Javier Cuartero, are other reasons to spend the week by the Mediterranean, enjoying the climate, the gastronomy (you must not leave without trying a good rice with the beach of Postiguet in the background), the music and the fogueres, a perfect pairing to give summer a high welcome.

Information on ticket sales

Online sale of season tickets and single tickets at www.servitoro.com, by telephone on +34 96 330 85 93 (opening hours Monday to Friday from 9am to 6.30pm) and by WhatsApp on +34 647 66 93 71.

José Miguel Arruego

Bullfighting journalist

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