La Monumental
A Former Bullring Transformed into an Independent Music Festival Venue
This architecturally significant building, now a stage for concerts and festivals like the famous Monumental Club, was, for more than a century, one of Spain’s most renowned bullrings.
Built in 1914, during the peak of bullfighting in Barcelona, La Monumental was among the most prestigious bullrings in Spain. However, in 2011, it hosted the last bullfight ever held in Catalonia.
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19,582 Seats with a storied past
Bullfighting took place at La Monumental between April 12, 1914, and September 25, 2011. When it first opened in 1914, the arena featured a noucentista-style façade and was originally named El Sport. But in 1916, due to the rising popularity of bullfighting, the venue underwent renovation and expansion under the direction of architect Ignasi Mas i Morell, in collaboration with Domènec Sugranyes. During this transformation, a mudéjar- and Byzantine-style exterior crown was added, giving the space a modernist flair, and it was renamed “Monumental”.
The abolition of bullfighting in Catalonia officially took effect on January 1, 2012, and three months earlier, in September 2011, La Monumental hosted its final bullfight during Barcelona’s Festa Major. While bullfights have ceased, the venue remains active, hosting musical performances and other events.
Visitors can explore the interior, where a small museum dedicated to bullfighting still exists.
How to Get to La Monumental?
La Monumental is located at the intersection of Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Carrer Marina. From the Sagrada Família stop on the Blue Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic, follow Carrer Marina toward the sea to reach the venue.
For the curious ones
- During the Spanish Civil War, La Monumental was repurposed as a garage and scrap warehouse, with wooden benches removed to construct concrete ramps for vehicle circulation.
- Barcelona had other bullrings, such as El Torín, inaugurated in 1834 in the Barceloneta district and closed in 1923, and Les Arenes, opened in 1900 at Plaça d’Espanya, which remained active until 1977.
- La Monumental holds great symbolic significance in recent history, as it witnessed the debate between supporters and opponents of bullfighting.
