EnglishLady
Veteran Expediter
BBC
Bullfighting fans in Catalonia will see the last fights before a ban on the age-old tradition comes into effect in Spain's north-eastern region.
About 20,000 spectators are expected to fill Barcelona's Monumental arena, where top matadors will be performing.
Catalonia's lawmakers voted for the ban - the first in Spain - last year after 180,000 people signed a petition.
They say the bullfighting is barbaric, but opponents say they will challenge the ban in Spain's top court.
Sold-out show
The ban takes effect on 1 January, but Sunday's fights in Catalonia will be the last events of the 2011 season.
Spain's top matadors will be performing at the arena, including legendary Jose Tomas
"This is such a beautiful arena, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this national celebration," matador Julian Lopez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
Tickets for the historic bullfights in Barcelona sold out at record speed. They have been trading on the black market ever since for up to five times their original value, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Spain reports.
But such large crowds have been rare at the Barcelona bullring, La Monumental, for some time, and this dwindling support is one reason the regional parliament voted in favour of banning the corrida, our correspondent adds.
She adds that there is also a growing awareness of animal rights and, crucially, the desire of Catalan nationalists to distinguish the region from the rest of Spain and its traditions.
Bullfighting is permitted in all other regions of Spain except in the Canary Islands.
Campaigners hope to extend the ban across the country, but they face a far tougher task in traditional bullfighting heartlands like Andalucia and Madrid, our correspondent says.
She says many people there dismiss all talk of cruelty and argue that the corrida is an age-old art form that must be protected and preserved
Bullfighting fans in Catalonia will see the last fights before a ban on the age-old tradition comes into effect in Spain's north-eastern region.
About 20,000 spectators are expected to fill Barcelona's Monumental arena, where top matadors will be performing.
Catalonia's lawmakers voted for the ban - the first in Spain - last year after 180,000 people signed a petition.
They say the bullfighting is barbaric, but opponents say they will challenge the ban in Spain's top court.
Sold-out show
The ban takes effect on 1 January, but Sunday's fights in Catalonia will be the last events of the 2011 season.
Spain's top matadors will be performing at the arena, including legendary Jose Tomas
"This is such a beautiful arena, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this national celebration," matador Julian Lopez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
Tickets for the historic bullfights in Barcelona sold out at record speed. They have been trading on the black market ever since for up to five times their original value, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Spain reports.
But such large crowds have been rare at the Barcelona bullring, La Monumental, for some time, and this dwindling support is one reason the regional parliament voted in favour of banning the corrida, our correspondent adds.
She adds that there is also a growing awareness of animal rights and, crucially, the desire of Catalan nationalists to distinguish the region from the rest of Spain and its traditions.
Bullfighting is permitted in all other regions of Spain except in the Canary Islands.
Campaigners hope to extend the ban across the country, but they face a far tougher task in traditional bullfighting heartlands like Andalucia and Madrid, our correspondent says.
She says many people there dismiss all talk of cruelty and argue that the corrida is an age-old art form that must be protected and preserved