An August bullfight in Palma was a tradition for many years until Balearic legislation of 2017 effectively prohibited bullfighting. The so-called "ley de toros" outlawed the killing of bulls and introduced numerous stipulations for the staging of bullfights.
The law stopped short of there being an outright ban because the government was aware that the legislation would be challenged by the Constitutional Court; which is what happened with the ban in Catalonia. Nevertheless, the legislation was referred to the Constitutional Court by the Spanish government. The principle for doing this was that the regional law potentially violated the constitution and invaded state powers.
Last December, the court ruled that the legislation was unconstitutional on several grounds and completely annulled certain articles.
Palma seems likely to be the only venue for a bullfight this summer. The Muro bullfight for the Sant Joan fiestas did not take place, while the Alcudia bullfight for Sant Jaume has not been scheduled, and nor is one programmed for Inca's Sant Abdon and Sant Senen fiestas. Alcudia, Inca, Muro and Palma were the only places where there were still bullfights prior to the legislation.
