Luanda bullring, bullring in Luanda

Luanda bullring is a large oval arena with seating capacity for about 20,000 spectators, built during colonial times to host bullfights. The structure consists of concrete stands and simple seating sections that surround the fighting ground.

The bullring opened on 1 March 1964, built because many Portuguese metropolitan residents in Luanda were attached to bullfighting. Fights, known locally as touradas, were held until 1975, when the newly independent People's Republic of Angola banned the spectacle. During the final phase of the government's confrontation with UNITA, the abandoned arena was used informally as a shelter by people displaced by the fighting.

The arena served as a gathering place where the community shared traditions brought by Portuguese colonizers, with bullfighting as a central spectacle. After independence in 1975, it transformed into a venue for concerts and music performances, hosting African artists and reshaping its cultural role.

The entrance is difficult to locate, hidden behind a rusty iron gate with steps filled with debris and visible signs of neglect throughout the site. Visitors should be aware that the arena currently serves as shelter for residents who have made homes in the space, and infrastructure is minimal.

The arena is one of only eight bullrings in Africa, alongside those of Lubango, Maputo, Melilla, Tangier, Oujda, Villa Sanjurjo and Oran. Its second bullfight took place on 21 February 1968, four years after the opening on 1 March 1964.