Valencia Bullfighting Fair 2026 (Fallas): summary of all the events and big winners

03/11/2026

Valencia Bullfighting Fair 2026 (Fallas): Summary of all the events and top performers
The Valencia Bullfighting Fair, held in conjunction with the 2026 Fallas festival, concluded on March 19th with Samuel Navalón as the star attraction. We review the bullfighting events, the most outstanding performances, the winning bullfighters, and the official list of winners of one of the most important events on the Spanish bullfighting calendar.

The Valencia Bullfighting Fair 2026, one of the highlights of the Fallas program, once again transformed the Valencia bullring into a meeting point for bullfighting enthusiasts. Between March 7th and 19th, the Fallas festival brought together leading bullfighters, promising young talents, rejoneadores (mounted bullfighters), and renowned ranches, offering a comprehensive program of events.

This year's edition featured significant performances, moments of excitement, and prominent figures who defined the fair. Above all others stood out the Valencian bullfighter Samuel Navalón, proclaimed the winner of the 2026 Fallas festival and also recognized for delivering the best performance of the season.

Samuel Navalón, the great winner of the 2026 Fallas Festival
The most prominent name of the 2026 Valencia Bullfighting Festival was, without a doubt, Samuel Navalón. The bullfighter from Ayora won the two most important individual awards of the season: the prize for the winner of the festival and the award for the best performance.

His great afternoon came on March 14, in a bullfight where he shared the bill with Alejandro Talavante and Roca Rey, with bulls from Victoriano del Río and Toros de Cortés.

Navalón made a particularly emotional return to the ring after the serious goring he suffered in the neck. His performance was marked by courage, dedication, and determination, earning him two ears, one from each bull in his lot, and being carried out on the shoulders of the crowd through the main gate.

The most outstanding performance was against Tallista, a bull from the Victoriano del Río ranch, which also received the award for best bull of the 2026 Fallas Festival.

All the events of the 2026 Valencia Bullfighting Festival
The Fallas bullfighting program took place between March 7 and 19, with various events combining novilladas (bullfights with young bulls), corridas (bullfights with full-grown bulls), and rejoneo (bullfights on horseback).

March 7: Novillada without picadors
The festival kicked off with a novillada without picadors featuring bulls from the Aída Jovani ranch. Alejandro González, Ian Bermejo, Israel Guirao, Clovis, Hugo Masiá, and Daniel García were responsible for opening the Fallas season.

This first event was dedicated to young aspiring bullfighters and the promotion of new talent in bullfighting.

March 8: First bullfight with picadors
The first bullfight with picadors took place on Sunday, featuring bulls from the Talavante ranch for Emiliano Osornio, Mario Vilau, and Marco Polope.

The event showcased the potential of the young bullfighters and their ability to make a name for themselves in a bullring as important as Valencia's.

March 13: La Quinta bullfight
After the break in the schedule, the action resumed on Friday, March 13, with the La Quinta bullfight.

Fortes, Román, and David de Miranda headlined a lineup that brought the excitement of bullfighting back to the Valencian arena.

March 14: Samuel Navalón's big afternoon
One of the most anticipated events of the 2026 Fallas festival brought together Alejandro Talavante, Roca Rey, and Samuel Navalón, with bulls from the Victoriano del Río and Toros de Cortés ranches.

The afternoon's star was Samuel Navalón, who earned two ears and exited through the main gate. His performance, especially moving due to his return to the bullring after the serious goring he suffered in the neck, ended up being the best performance of the fair.

Also noteworthy was the bull Tallista, from Victoriano del Río, which later received the award for best bull of the season.

The day was rounded out with the 39th National Bull-Leaping Competition and the nighttime spectacle La Nit del Foc (Night of Fire) and Fallas Cows.

March 15: Bullfighting on horseback and leading figures of the bullfighting world
Sunday, March 15, offered a double bill of bullfighting events.

In the morning, the bullfight on horseback was held with bulls from María Guiomar Cortés de Moura for Andy Cartagena, Diego Ventura, and Lea Vicens. Diego Ventura stood out in particular and ended up being recognized as the best bullfighter on horseback of the fair.

In the afternoon, Sebastián Castella, José María Manzanares, and Pablo Aguado entered the ring with bulls from Jandilla, in another of the featured events of the program.

March 16: Julio Norte, Best Novillero Performance
The second novillada with picadors of the fair featured bulls from Fuente Ymbro for Juan Alberto Torrijos, Julio Méndez, and Julio Norte.

Julio Norte's performance was one of the most acclaimed of the day. His performance with the second bull of his lot earned him the award for best novillero performance of the 2026 Fallas festival.

This recognition confirms the importance of the Valencian fair as a showcase for the new generation of bullfighters.

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