La Tomatina Turns Buñol Red in Global Tomato Frenzy

Thousands of people gathered in Buñol, near València in eastern Spain, on Wednesday for La Tomatina, the town’s annual tomato-throwing festival. During the event, participants engaged in a messy food fight that lasted more than an hour and covered streets, buildings and people in the juice and pulp of overripe tomatoes. Organizers supplied as much as 165 tonnes of tomatoes for the celebration, which was expected to attract more than 20,000 participants. The festival’s origins are traced to an unplanned food fight in 1945 and it has since become a major international tourist attraction. According to Spain’s EFE news agency, tourists from outside Spain accounted for about 40 per cent of participants over the previous three years. Non-local attendees pay €15 for a ticket to join the event. In preparation, residents and workers covered buildings with tarps to protect them from flying tomatoes. Participants also took precautions, including wearing swimming goggles and earplugs. The festival’s main safety rule is that people must squash the tomatoes before throwing them, reducing the risk of injury. The article presents the event through photographs and captions showing revellers waiting for the fight, residents protecting homes and crowds participating in the tomato-filled celebration. It emphasizes both the scale and spectacle of La Tomatina, as well as its continuing popularity among international visitors.

La Tomatina 2026 brought thousands of people to Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for the town’s annual tomato-throwing festival. Participants hurled as much as 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes at one another during a chaotic event lasting just over an hour. Trucks carrying tomatoes moved slowly through the packed streets, allowing people in and around the vehicles to throw tomatoes at each other. Many participants’ white clothing quickly turned pink, while local residents sprayed them with water from balconies. Buildings along the festival route were protected with tarpaulins in advance. More than 20,000 people were expected to attend the 2026 event. According to the Spanish news agency EFE, approximately 40% of participants over the previous three years had come from outside Spain. The festival has experienced a notable increase in visitors from India, partly because it was featured in the 2011 Bollywood film "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara." La Tomatina takes place on the last Wednesday of August each year. Its origins date back to a street brawl in 1945, which eventually developed into the internationally known food fight. Despite the festival’s exuberant atmosphere, participants must follow one central rule: they must squash each tomato before throwing it. The event combines local tradition, international tourism and spectacle, turning Buñol’s streets red while requiring extensive preparation to protect buildings and manage the large crowd.

Thousands of people gathered in Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for La Tomatina, the town’s annual tomato-throwing festival. During the event, trucks carried tons of overripe tomatoes through the streets while participants threw the fruit at one another, covering themselves, the buildings and the roads in tomato pulp. The hourlong celebration featured loud pop music, white clothing turning pink and red, and crowds later washing themselves at communal showers. Police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse one section of the crowd, but the festive atmosphere quickly returned. La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday of August and originated with a food fight in 1945. Although Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco banned the tradition in the 1950s, televised coverage in the 1980s helped transform it into a national event and later an international tourist attraction. More than 20,000 people were expected to attend in 2026, and Spain’s EFE news agency reported that about 40% of participants during the previous three years came from outside Spain. The festival has drawn growing numbers of visitors from India because of the 2011 Bollywood film “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” which recreated La Tomatina during a road trip through Spain. Indian visitors Romail Khokhar and Mazhar and Sanya Khan said the movie inspired their trips, while Polish attendee Joanna Wytrzyszczewska also said she came because of the film and found the real event even more intense. Non-local visitors pay 15 euros for admission. Participants are required to squash tomatoes before throwing them to reduce the risk of injury, and many wear goggles and earplugs. A cannon signals the end of the fight, after which the streets are hosed down. The tomatoes’ citric acid often helps clean the streets, although it can permanently stain clothing. Similar events have been held in several countries, including India, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Colombia and the United States.