Portugal opens public consultation on bullfighting heritage status

The Portuguese Cultural Heritage Institute has opened a 30-day public consultation regarding the proposal to include bullfighting in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The initiative, originally proposed by the Associação de Tertúlias Tauromáquicas de Portugal, seeks to recognize bullfighting as a codified institutional practice involving various formats, such as Portuguese-style bullfighting with horsemen and foot bullfighters, as well as mixed events.

The proposal has faced opposition from the animal rights organization Animal. The group's president, Rita Silva, criticized the attempt to grant institutional legitimacy to an activity based on deliberate violence against animals. Animal has announced it will submit a formal objection and is mobilizing citizens to participate in the consultation to oppose the inscription.

Following the 30-day period, the Cultural Heritage Institute is expected to reach a decision within 120 days. Data from the National Institute of Statistics indicates that bullfighting attendance in Portugal reached nearly 300,000 people in 2025.