A rain of figuras and a bullfight on horseback for the Feria de Béziers 2024

Sébastien Castella et Christian Parejo seront de retour avec Roca Rey pour l'ouverture de la Feria. Midi Libre – Giacomo Italiano

On the square in front of the arenas, this Tuesday, May 7 in the evening, Olivier Margé revealed the cartels of the Feria de Béziers which will take place from August 15 to 18, with four bullfights, including one on horseback, a piqued novillada and two not piqued. Castella, Roca Rey, Talavante, Luque, Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Lea Vicens will be the headliners. The Miura tradition will be broken.
 

As in 2023, Bettara has just formalized the Feria cartels in front of the bullring as part of the two days of festivities for the « Feria off » at the end of the becerrade and on the eve of the bullfighting festival where Clemente, Carlos Olsina, Christian Parejo and Lalo de Maria will perform.

Purists will be moved by the end of the traditional Miura bullfight for the closing of the 2024 edition because the « Miurada de Béziers » is emblematic in the French bullfighting calendar. Olivier Margé justifies this choice by the drop in attendance at this event, its lack of economic balance, the poor performance of the Miura in 2023 and the desire to test new horizons to attract a new audience.

This feria will contain four major events with the repetition of the opening cartel of the previous vintage which had been aborted by the injury of Roca Rey in 2023. We will therefore find Sébastien Castella, Andres Roca Rey and Christian Parejo with l’ hope of achieving the first « no hay billetes » for more than 10 years in the arenas of the Plateau de Valras. The Peruvian number one will come to defend his status on the lands of a Castella that has fully flourished since his return and which has opened the big doors of Madrid, Mexico and Seville in recent months.

For the second round of the Feria, the Santiago Domecq will return after their indulto last year. The fashionable breeding of the moment produced an exceptional bullfight in Seville which collected all the Feria prizes (best lot and best bull). The cartel will be very attractive with Alejandro Talavante and Daniel Luque. The Sevillian has been multiplying his successes for several seasons (« golden ear » and triumphant of the French temporada in 2023, triumphant of the last Feria de Seville). They will be accompanied by Borja Jimenez who is the revelation bullfighter of the last year with his successes in Madrid and Seville.

A 100% French bullfight for the closing

Saturday will be reserved for the horse with a mano a mano between Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Lea Vicens to say goodbye to Béziers of the legend of rejon.

Finally, a 100% French bullfight is proposed for the closing bullfight facing the Margé. There we will find Juan Leal and Carlos Olsina who triumphed last year in Béziers by pardoning the bulls of Santiago Domecq and Margé. Clemente will complete the cartel and he will want to display the purity of his bullfighter in a season where he is riding on his successes of recent months to integrate the cartels of the major French Ferias and open the doors to Spain with cartels in Zaragoza and Azpeita.

Finally, three morning novilladas will be offered including a dive on August 18 with Lalo de Maria, Niño Julian and the great Sevillian hope Javier Zulueta.

To read on Midi Libre Béziers, the interview with Olivier Margé this Wednesday, May 8.

The cartels

Thursday August 15 : Sébastien Castella, Andres Roca Rey and Christian Parejo (toros de Jandilla).

Friday August 16: Alejandro Talavante, Daniel Luque and Borja Jimenez (toros de Santiago Domecq).

Saturday August 17: mano a mano Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Lea Vicens (toros de Bohorquez).

Sunday August 18: Juan Leal, Clemente and Carlos Olsina (toros de Margé).

In the morning: Lalo de Maria, Niño Julian and Javier Zulueta (novillos of Malaga and Camino de Santiago).

Two novilladas without picador Friday and Saturday morning.

Reservations at 04.67.76.13.45 or on arenes-beziers.com.

Subscriptions until June 21 from 95 to 478 euros. 50 euros for those under 25.

Single places from July 1st from 22 to 108 euros.

Evening shows: 12 euros.