Europe’s 2024 temporada has been full of interest to date, with strong performances by several toreros in the main ferias and generally better-than-expected showings from the bulls. Although we are still denied an afternoon that pitches Andrés Roca Rey and Daniel Luque together, Madrid’s Feria de San Isidro carteles are full of interest. Here is a brief guide to what to look out for in each of the individual corridas de toreo a pie that make up the feria:

May 10: The feria kicks off with Morante de la Puebla and Diego Urdiales facing alcurrucenes (toros that disappointed in Sevilla). New matador - and local favourite - García Pulido will be out to make an impression on his confirmación de alternativa.

May 11: Román reckons 2024 may be his year, and he cut an ear here in Las Ventas on Easter Sunday. Today, with bulls of Fuente Ymbro, is his sole opportunity to make an impact in San Isidro. El Fandi and Mexican Leo Valadez feature too.

May 12: The first of the feria’s three effective corridas de oportunidad featuring toreros (some of whom have triumphed in Madrid before) thought worthy of an afternoon. Mexican El Calita, Francisco de Manuel and Álvaro Alarcón face bulls of Baltasar Ibán.

May 15: After impressing at Sevilla, El Parralejo fields six bulls for that afternoon’s triunfador Miguel Ángel Perera, Paco Ureña and confirmator Alejandro Fermín.

May 16: The feria’s 2023 triunfador, Sebastián Castella, is continuing his good form, while Tomás Rufo is back on home turf and will be keen to do well. Manzanares is the other espada. Victoriano del Río’s animals were poor in Sevilla, but such performances from this ganadería are a rarity.

May 17: Emilio de Justo often performs strongly with La Quinta bulls, while Miguel Ángel Perera, in his second and final feria performance, cannot be discounted from doing well also. Ginés Marín is the third sword.

May 19: The miuras are back in town, hopefully with Juan de Castilla too, the Colombian due to fly down from Vic Fezensac after the French town’s morning corrida concurso! Rafaelillo and Jesús Enrique Colombo will be trying hard to succeed and/or to entertain.

May 22: The feria’s second corrida de oportunidad. David Galván, Álvaro Lorenzo and Ángel Téllez are given an afternoon to prove themselves with Toros de El Torero.

May 23: The first feria afternoon for both Alejandro Talavante, recovering his pre-retirement form so far this year, and an increasingly consistent Juan Ortega, awarded the prize for Sevilla’s best faena. Tomás Rufo has his last chance to shine with the atanasios of El Puerto de San Lorenzo.

May 24: Andrés Roca Rey’s return to Las Ventas after the difficult time he was given by some spectators here last year; how will he be treated today? The Conde de Mayalde bulls should be interesting and veteran Cayetano and the young promise Jorge Martínez are also on the bill.

May 25: Straight after the Peruvian comes Sevilla triunfador and current arch rival Daniel Luque… Castella makes his last feria appearance and confirmator Christian Parejo will be aiming to make an impact.

May 26: Cayetano and Ginés Marín will have a final chance for Madrid success in this corrida mixta with Diego Ventura.

May 29: Today’s juanpedros probably offer Morante de la Puebla his best chance of a Madrid triumph. Their sweetness should suit Talavante and Pablo Aguado, too. But will the bulls have enough in them to excite the Madrid crowd?

May 30: A second feria appearance for alcurrucenes and for Daniel Luque. Víctor Hernández confirms his alternativa with Manzanares as testigo.

May 31: A late first feria appearance for Borja Jiménez, the revelation of Madrid’s 2023 temporada and terrific in Sevilla last month. He, veteran Uceda Leal (another Madrid favourite) and Talvante will face a string from Santiago Domecq, the ganadería hoping to build on its successes in last year’s San Isidro and this year’s Feria de Abril.

June 2: A sequence of torista carteles begins with Pedraza de Yeltes bulls in the feria’s third corrida de oportunidad for an international trio - Frenchman Juan Leal, Spaniard Francisco José Espada and Mexican Isaac Fonseca.

June 4: Escolares today. Past master Fernando Robleño and Damian Castaño (recovered from his brave display with Dolores Aguirre bulls in last month’s Feria del Aficionado) are joined by Gómez del Pilar.

June 5: A fascinating mano a mano, with bulls of Victorino Martín, between Paco Ureña and Borja Jiménez.

June 6: Adolfo Martin’s turn to field albaserradas. Antonio Ferrera (back in Madrid’s good books after cutting an ear in the capital’s opening corrida), Manuel Escribano (in his sole San Isidro appearance) and José Garrido (keen to return to the main feria circuit) face them.

June 7: The Corrida de la Cultura brings the second feria appearance of Victoriano del Río animals for an ultra-competitive cartel of Emilio de Justo, Borja Jiménez and Andrés Roca Rey.

June 8: The feria has begun and ends with Diego Urdiales. A hoped-for corrida del arte (but, in fact, a corrida acknowledging the 200th anniversary of Spain’s national police force!), the riojano, Juan Ortega and Pablo Aguado facing bulls of Román Sorando.

All the corridas, along with the feria’s three novilladas con picadores and two corridas de rejones, will be shown live by OneToro.