CROWDS will return to Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic next month for a charity bullfight to raise money for matadors left jobless by COVID-19, officials said Saturday.

Almost all of Spain’s bullrings, or plazas, have remained closed for the last year due to lockdown restrictions — plunging the controversial spectacle and its matadors into financial crisis.

A maximum of 6,000 people, or 40 percent capacity, will be allowed in the arena to watch the May 2 bullfight, Madrid’s regional government said. The arena is considered by fans as the world’s most important bullring. Mandatory face masks and strict social distancing measures will be in place at the event.

Major bullfighting festivals such as San Isidro, Sevilla’s April Fair and Pamplona’s San Fermin in July were canceled last year, with bulls being sent from ranches straight to the slaughterhouse.

The traditional emblem of Spanish culture had been struggling for survival in recent years.

Attitudes towards bullfighting differ among Spaniards with some considering it an essential part of the culture while others say it is a cruel spectacle.

A 2019 poll found 56.4 percent of Spaniards opposed bullfighting, while 24.7 percent supported it and 18.9 percent were indifferent.

(SD-Agencies)