Ronda’s Carriage Driving Competition returns to the bullring: date, tickets and everything you need to know

One of the most iconic scenes of the Pedro Romero Fair in Ronda will return in 2026. Historic carriages, carefully prepared horses and traditionally dressed drivers will once again take over the bullring for the 46th Ronda Carriage Driving Competition and Exhibition.

The event will take place on Sunday 6 September, one day after the traditional Goyesca bullfight, bringing back one of the weekends most closely associated with Ronda’s equestrian heritage.

The competition itself will begin at 12pm, although visitors will be able to see the first carriages from 10am, when they make their traditional stop on Calle Virgen de la Paz.

The carriages return to the bullring

One of the biggest developments this year is not simply the return of the competition, but the fact that it will once again be held inside the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda bullring.

The historic venue is reopening fully to the public following major structural conservation work. These works focused especially on reinforcing parts of the building and had prevented the traditional exhibition from taking place in its usual format in recent years.

In 2024, the works meant the event could not be held as normal. In 2025, Ronda hosted its first International Traditional Carriage Driving Competition, but part of the programme inside the bullring had to take place without spectators.

This year, audiences will once again be able to watch the carriages from the stands.

A moving museum of historic carriages

The Ronda competition is much more than an equestrian contest.

Many of the vehicles taking part are historic carriages that have been carefully preserved or restored, accompanied by traditional harnesses, horses and clothing selected to create a harmonious overall presentation.

This is why the event is often described as a kind of “museum on wheels”: vehicles originally designed for transport continue to move and be used decades later rather than remaining permanently on display.

Judges assess not only the handling of the horses but also the presentation, conservation, elegance and historical character of each turnout.

The spectacle begins before the competition

Visitors who want to make the most of the day can see the carriages before they enter the bullring.

From 10am, the traditional carriage gathering will take place on Calle Virgen de la Paz.

This is one of the most photogenic moments of the event and offers an opportunity to see the horses and carriages at closer range before the official competition begins.

The Carriage Driving Competition and Exhibition starts at 12pm inside the bullring.

Tickets cost €5, with part of the proceeds going to the Red Cross

Tickets have been kept at an accessible price.

Admission will cost a flat rate of €5, regardless of whether seats are located in the sun or shade. Part of the ticket revenue will also be donated to the Red Cross in Ronda.

Online ticket sales will begin on Monday 24 August through Giglon.

For those who prefer to buy tickets in person, the box office will open from 31 August at Plaza Teniente Arce, opposite the Tourist Office. On the day of the competition, ticket sales will move to the point opposite the Post Office.

More than 70 years of carriage tradition in Ronda

Carriages have been part of Ronda’s bullring celebrations for far longer than the modern competition itself.

The tradition can be traced back to 1954, when carriages belonging to Pablo Atienza, Marquis of Salvatierra, together with those from the Jerez de la Frontera stud depot, transported the Damas Goyescas to their box before parading around the arena.

The competition itself was created in 1972, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda.

In 1996, the Real Club de Enganches de Andalucía took over its organisation, working alongside Ronda Town Hall and the Real Maestranza. The 2026 edition therefore also marks 30 years of this organisational partnership.

An equestrian tradition closely linked to the Pedro Romero Fair

Ronda has a particularly strong connection with horses and traditional Andalusian equestrian culture, and the carriage competition is one of the clearest expressions of that relationship.

The setting makes the event even more distinctive.

Rather than taking place in a modern purpose-built equestrian arena, the carriages parade across the sand of one of Spain’s most recognisable historic bullrings.

The return of the event to this setting therefore represents more than just another item on the Fair programme. It restores the combination of horses, historic carriages, traditional clothing and architecture that has defined the competition for decades.

A poster inspired by a 19th-century carriage scene

The official image chosen for the 2026 edition also reflects the event’s historical character.

The poster uses the hand-coloured illustration ‘Vue de Malte. Strada Real’, from the work Voyage d’Horace Vernet en Orient, written by Eugène Goupil-Fesquet and published in Paris by Augustin Challamel.

The image belongs to the collections of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda library and depicts a traditional horse-drawn carriage travelling through a street in Valletta, Malta.

Practical information for the Ronda Carriage Driving Competition 2026

• Date: Sunday 6 September 2026.
• Carriage gathering: from 10am on Calle Virgen de la Paz.
• Competition: 12pm.
• Venue: Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda bullring.
• Ticket price: €5.
• Online sales: from 24 August through Giglon.
• Box office sales: from 31 August.
• Charity contribution: part of the proceeds will go to the Red Cross in Ronda.

After several years in which restoration works and other circumstances forced the event to be cancelled or adapted, Ronda will recover one of the most distinctive traditions of the Pedro Romero Fair in 2026, with historic carriages once again entering the bullring in front of spectators.

Full timings, ticket information and details of the 46th Ronda Carriage Driving Competition and Exhibition can be found in the official information published by the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda.