Fallas Novilladas: A Commitment to the Next Generation

The 2026 Fallas Festival is so appealing that even the novilladas (bullfights featuring young bullfighters) deserve special attention. Rarely have so many young talents with such strong credentials come together as those who will step into the ring this March at the bullring on Calle Xàtiva. Here we introduce their achievements and backgrounds. Keep an eye on them — you’ve been warned.

On this occasion, the Fallas novilladas cannot be considered “minor events”, a label often used to distinguish them from full bullfights. In 2026, the two novilladas with picadors and the promotional event scheduled for 7, 8 and 16 March stand out in their own right, beyond the fact that they take place at one of the season’s first major showcases in a top-category bullring.

This is due to the quality and strong credentials of the young bullfighters announced — talents who stood out significantly over the past season and who now face the present with genuine future potential, thanks to their performances and clear projection.

For example, on Sunday 8 March, the bill includes the Mexican Emiliano Osornio, a bullfighter of exquisite style, who delivered two of the finest performances of the 2025 season in Arganda and Arnedo, where he won the prestigious Golden Shoe (Zapato de Oro) award. Managed by master bullfighter Curro Vázquez, Osornio is regarded as one of the greatest hopes of his generation, admired for his sensitivity and refined interpretation of bullfighting.

Sharing the ring with Osornio will be Mario Vilau, another highly interesting young bullfighter. Hailing from Catalonia, he was crowned winner of the National Novilladas League after also claiming victory in the Levante Circuit. Still very young and with fewer appearances behind him, Vilau nevertheless shows great courage and ambition as he seeks to carve out his place in the profession.

On 16 March, the second novillada will feature Julio Méndez and Julio Norte. Méndez, trained at the Badajoz Bullfighting School, was a finalist in the Community of Madrid Circuit and also stood out in several September festivals across the region. Norte, meanwhile, won the Vid de Oro in Arganda del Rey and the Castile and León Novilladas Circuit. Both bullfighters made their debut with picadors last season and quickly attracted attention for their ability and technical resources.

Both line-ups are completed by two young bullfighters from Valencia: Marco Polope on Sunday 8 March and Juan Alberto Torrijos on Monday 16 March. They are among the most outstanding students of the Valencia Bullfighting School and have made successful debuts with picadors in recent months. In addition, the novilladas, featuring bulls from Talavante and Fuente Ymbro, provide strong guarantees for these young talents to fully express themselves in the ring.

The programme is rounded off on Saturday 7 March with a novillada without picadors, featuring local bulls from Aida Jovani, to be faced by Alejandro González, Ian Bermejo, Israel Guirao, Clovis, Hugo Masiá and Daniel García. This represents a clear commitment by the organisers to youth and generational renewal in a Fallas Festival that will undoubtedly set the tone and serve as a benchmark for the rest of the 2026 season.

You can now buy your official tickets safely and securely through Servitoro.

Saturday, 7 March. Novillada without picadors. Bulls from Aida Jovani for Alejandro González, Ian Bermejo, Israel Guirao, Clovis, Hugo Masiá and Daniel García.

Sunday, 8 March. Novillada with picadors. Bulls from Talavante for Emiliano Osornio, Mario Vilau and Marco Polope.

Monday, 16 March. Novillada with picadors. Young bulls from Fuente Ymbro for Juan Alberto Torrijos, Julio Méndez and Julio Norte.