The Plaza de toros de La Malagueta – Málaga Bullring in La Malagueta – is a neomudéjar-style hexadecagon, with the first event, a traditional corrida de toros, being held in 1876.

The Bullring was designed by Joaquín Rucoba and construction began on June 16th 1874, although work was interrupted between December 1874 and October 1875 and it wasn’t inaugurated until June 11th 1876. Rucoba, incidentally, also designed the Mercado de Atarazanas.

In 1939, during the latter part of the Spanish Civil War, the site was apparently used to house prisoners when the concentration camp at La Aurora, one of several hundred such camps in Spain and in operation until 1947, became full. It was again used to hold prisoners in 1943.

In 1976 the Plaza de toros de La Malagueta was denominated a cultural asset of Spain, or BIC.

The bullring was renovated in 2010 and the arena now has a capacity for 9,032 spectators. The ring itself measures 52 metres in diameter and the complex includes 4 large pens, 10 small holding pens, stables, dressing rooms, a first aid post for when the bull wins, administrative facilities and the Museo Taurino Antonio Ordóñez.

The bullring was further renovated in 2017 and adapted to become a year-round cultural centre rather than just for bullfighting.