La Tomatina
Photo: flydime, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On the last Wednesday of August, the small town of Buñol near Valencia hosts what is said to be the world’s biggest food fight — an hour in which thousands of ticket-holders pelt each other with tomatoes until the streets run red.
From a quarrel to a festival
La Tomatina began on the last Wednesday of August 1945, when young people gathered in Buñol’s town square to watch a parade of giants and big-heads. A scuffle broke out, a market stall of vegetables was overturned, and the crowd started pelting each other with tomatoes until the police stopped them. The next year the young people came back with tomatoes of their own, and a tradition was born.
Under Franco the fight was banned in the early 1950s for having no religious meaning. Buñol protested — in 1957 residents staged a “tomato funeral”, carrying a coffin with a giant tomato through the streets to funeral marches — and the Tomatina was allowed back as an official festival. In 2002 it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest. In 2025, its 80th anniversary, more than 22,000 people took part.
The hour of tomatoes
In the days before, there is a paella contest near the town square, tomato-themed fireworks, and music and parades in the old centre. On Wednesday morning the fun starts with the Palo Jabón: a tall greased pole with a ham tied to the top. People climb on one another to reach it while the crowd dances and everyone is hosed with water.
When the ham falls, the tomato battle begins. It lasts about an hour; in 2015 an estimated 145,000 kilograms of tomatoes were thrown. Then fire engines wash down the streets — and thanks to the acid of the tomatoes, some surfaces end up cleaner than before.
To protect a town of about 9,000 people, participation has been limited to 20,000 ticket-holders since 2013.
When it happens
La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday of August. The tomato battle itself lasts about an hour that morning; a paella contest, music and parades fill the days before.
- August 25, 2027Calculated
- August 30, 2028Calculated
- August 29, 2029Calculated
- August 28, 2030Calculated
Visiting with respect
Good to know
- Since 2013 the fight has been limited to 20,000 people with paid tickets. Buy a ticket before you travel.
- Wear old clothes and closed shoes you are ready to throw away, and protect your eyes.
- Afterwards, rinse off with the hoses local residents offer, or at the Los Peñones pool.
Avoid
- Follow the town council’s rules: throw nothing but tomatoes, do not tear other people’s clothes, squash tomatoes before throwing, keep a safe distance from the trucks, only throw at targets you can see, do not throw at buildings, and stop when the second starting shot sounds.
Stay safe
- The streets are narrow and packed. Keep clear of the trucks that bring in the tomatoes, and follow the directions of the security staff.
Sources
This entry was written from the following sources.
- La TomatinaWikipedia (English) · read September 16, 2026
- Spain travel advice: safety and securityUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · read September 16, 2026
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