Mexico Guide
Mexico City
Bullfighting
Soccer and wrestling may be more popular, but there is no event more quintessentially Mexican than the bullfight. Rooted in Spanish machismo and imbued with multiple layers of symbolism and interpretation, it transcends a mere battle of man against animal. Many visitors arrive in Mexico revolted by the very idea of such one-sided slaughter, but spend an hour watching on TV and you may well find yourself hooked; if nothing else, it is worth attending a corrida de toros to see this integral part of the Mexican experience. It is a sport that transcends class barriers, something that is evident every Sunday afternoon during the winter season when men and women from all walks of Mexican society file into the stadium – though some admittedly end up in plush sombra (shade) seats while the masses occupy concrete sol (sun) terraces.
During the season (the longer temporada grande, late Oct or early Nov to early April, or the shorter temporada chica, July to early Oct) fights take place every Sunday at 4pm at the giant 48,000-seat Plaza Mexico ( 
www.plazamexico.com ), the largest bullring in the world. Each corrida lasts around two hours and involves six bulls, all from one ranch, with each of three matadors taking two bulls. Typically there will be two Mexican matadors and one from Spain, which still produces the best performers.
Elaborate posters around town advertise upcoming events, as do most of the major newspapers. Look out too for the weekly coverage of the scene in the press during the season. Tickets can be bought at the gate and you can expect to pay as little as M$50 for general admission to sunny concrete benches far from the action. Five pesos more and you'll have the luxury of some shade, and from there prices rise rapidly the closer you get to the ring, often reaching M$500 for a front-row seat: something in the primera tenida (M$350–450) is close enough for most first-timers. To get there, take a Metrobús down Insurgentes to Ciudad de los Desportes, or walk ten minutes east from Metro San Antonio.