Spain’s Supreme Court has told the government that its Culture Voucher scheme for 18-year-olds must include access to bullfights as well as books, theatre, concerts and cinema.
The Culture Voucher was first given out to last year’s new 18-year-olds both to encourage them to take part in Spain’s culture and to provide a boost to cultural organizations that suffered big revenue losses during the pandemic lockdowns. France and Italy have similar schemes.
A leading organization representing bullfighting interests took the government to court over its excluding bullfighting. The industry, while it still has a strong following, has been fading. In some areas, including Catalonia, it has been banned, and fewer events are held each year. In 2021, there were 279, compared with 387 in 2017 and 810 in 2008.
