Sevilla’s 2026 Feria de Abril - Week 1
Morante de la Puebla during his unforgettable performance on April 16 (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
There were a number of important questions to be answered by this year’s Feria de Abril - would the impact of Spain’s wet winter mean poor quality bulls? would José María Garzón’s first April fair in charge of La Maestranza be well supported by the public? what condition would Morante de la Puebla, whom Garzón had persuaded to reconsider his retirement, be in? and how would the various young debutants to the Feria fare? The Feria’s first week provided some answers - most of them positive.
Saturday, April 11
Lama de Góngora at the kill (Image from mundillo-taurino.com)
Today’s opening alcurrucén was diminished by a voltereta, while the sixth was kept in the ring despite exiting the toril with co-ordination problems, but the string as a whole, together with two sevillano matadors and a debutant from La Rioja all keen to make an impact in La Maestranza, provided an entertaining afternoon for the public, which filled less than half the plaza on a wet and windy afternoon. Lama de Góngora was the day’s triunfador on paper, the presidente giving way to a borderline petition and awarding an ear after a faena of templados muletazos, albeit ended with two attempts with the estoque. Pepe Moral earned a vuelta after an excellent faena in the rain to the best alcurrucén of the day. Riojano Fabio Jiménez was unlucky in the sorteo and could only show good intentions.
Sunday, April 12
Rafael Serna with his second fuenteymbro (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
Today’s Fuente Ymbro bulls were well-presented but generally lacking in strength. One animal (the fourth) fell so often it was sent back to the corrales during the tercio de banderillas and replaced with a bull of Murteira Grave, lacking in transmission. With this encerrona and a continuing strong wind, today’s debutant, Molina, could do little other than show a willingness to do well, exemplified by his greeting his first bull a portagayola. Álvaro Lorenzo, in his second corrida of the year following his impressive showing against six bulls at Toledo, again impressed with his mature, considered toreo, the matador coping particularly well with his first bull despite its uncertain charges and a tendency to stop mid-pass. The triunfador de la tarde was the sevillano Rafael Serna, who, with the fifth, drew the best bull of the day, one that charged strongly from a distance. Rafael courageously stood his ground and linked passes in a faena de menos a más, killing well too and causing a majority in the half-full plaza to wave their handkerchiefs for the corrida’s sole ear.
Tuesday, April 14
Julio Norte impressed in Sevilla, winning an ear from each of his novillos (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
Today’s Alejandro Talavante’s novillos left something to be desired in terms of their presentation, but made up for that with strength, nobleza and humillación, and the strong terna of novilleros made the most of them. Salmantino Julio Norte, fresh from his puerta grande triumph at Valencia, achieved a similar result here, cutting an ear from each of his bulls. The first charged like a dream, Norte keeping his muleta low for beautiful series of passes, before killing the animal cleanly. His second, manso in the initial tercios, came up in the faena, which Norte began on his knees. Further fine series of muletazos followed before two attempts with the sword lost Norte the Puerta del Príncipe, the half-full plaza nevertheless awarding the youngster a further ear that enabled him to leave the plaza on shoulders. The Portuguese Tomás Bastos was unlucky not to have joined him, the president denying him an ear from his first novillo, Bastos taking a vuelta instead. With his second, Bastos again showed his readiness for the alternativa, greeting the animal a portagayola and producing another impressive faena with lovely series of naturales the highlight. An estocada after circulares and bernadinas brought a deserved ear. The Mexican Emiliano Osornio had the worst of today’s lote, but produced some exquisite verónicas and showed enough class with the muleta to warrant further contracts and attention over the course of the temporada.
Wednesday, April 15
Young Aarón Palacio held his ground with today’s more experienced matadores (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
It’s surprising to this writer that, despite their frequent strong showings, the bulls of Santiago Domecq are rarely fought by today’s ‘figuras’. They are a favourite of Miguel Ángel Perera, however, who showed well with them here last year, and today achieved another notable faena, begun from on his knees, with an excellent opening animal. After the extremeño had produced linked series and a strong estocada, the crowd demanded two ears, but this was a day of stricter criteria in el palco, the president awarding just one. Perera’s second faena also got off to a strong start, but this was not a bull for a triumph. David Galván also produced an important faena with his first animal, the gaditano’s naturales being particularly impressive, and killed well for an ear. The spectators asked him to cut short his second faena as his bull was so weak. Debutant Aarón Palacio made a strong impression in quites to both of Galván’s bulls and received an ovation for his own initial lidia and an ear after his second, when his naturales and pases ayudados shone. He reminded this writer of El Yiyo, showing similar promise. After the corrida he said strong performances in important plazas were essential for new matadors (today was only his sixth corrida) to gain contracts - let’s hope that is the result. Santiago Domecq had once again produced a string of bulls that had made for an interesting corrida from start to finish.
Thursday, April 16
Morante during his memorable performance with his second Álvaro Núñez bull (Image by Sean Boyle)
Today’s second faena by Morante de la Puebla will go down in history and be talked about for many years to come. The maestro produced a complete lidia - capote, banderillas and muleta, each with unique and historic elements - to an impressive-looking ‘Colchonero’, only failing with the sword after a second Maestranza tail was his for the taking. Morante greeted the animal with largas, moving on to excellent verónicas and a quite of tijerillas. An excited crowd then saw that the matador wished to place banderillas himself; as the bull was hugging las tablas, Morante placed two pairs de dentro afuera, drawing the bull out, then took a chair handed down from the stands from which to cite and place a third pair al quiebro! By this time, the band was playing, the spectators on their feet. The chair was used again for some opening pases por alto in the faena. Some terrific naturales followed, Morante relaxed and the cloth moved slowly as he curved the animal around him. Unfortunately, this astonishing lidia finished with three swordthrusts and various attempts with the descabello. No matter - there was a strong petition for an ear (not granted), Morante took two vueltas al ruedo and, at the end of the corrida, was carried out on shoulders through the Puerta de Cuadrillas after the crowd’s attempt to carry him through the Puerta del Príncipe was blocked. This performance outshone everything else, though it should be noted that Víctor Hernández cut an ear from his first bull, greeted with caleserinas and given a faena almost entirely based on naturales. Juan Ortega only impressed in some verónicas and doblones. Álvaro Núñez made a respectable Maestranza debut as ganadero.
Friday, April 17
Andrés Roca Rey was the triunfador of a low-key corrida (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
Unsurprisingly, after yesterday’s excitement, today’s corrida was rather a damp squib. The bulls of Domingo Hernández were disappointing, offering little opportunities for success. Alejandro Talavante had no chance with his bulls; Pablo Aguado was awarded a vuelta al ruedo after being tossed by the sixth bull and trying hard to bring off muletazos thereafter; while Andrés Roca Rey won an ear after a faena to his second bull based on curving derechazos and ended with a strong estocada.
Saturday, April 18
Manuel Escribano met two of his victorinos a portagayola (Image from lancesmaestranza.com)
A mano a mano featuring two toreros - Manuel Escribano and Borja Jiménez - not really in competition with each other, perhaps the biggest failing of the Sevilla temporada programming. Escribano won plaudits for meeting two of his bulls a portagayola and a risky pair of banderillas delivered al quiebro by the boards to his second victorino, while Jiménez excelled in naturales to his first and second bulls only to be let down by his habitually poor swordwork. The Victorino Martín bulls were generally approved of by the critics, although the fifth was poorly presented and protested as a result. All in all, this was an afternoon of single passes and of no consequence.