Food fight, anyone? On Aug. 28 in Buñol, València, Spain, the town will host the 76th La Tomatina Festival, a lively event that uses roughly 330,000 pounds of overripe tomatoes to celebrate fun and community spirit.
© Visit Valencia
Originating in 1945 as a neighborhood food fight, La Tomatina has grown into an internationally known festival that still centers on playful chaos. The day begins at noon when trucks arrive in Plaza del Pueblo carrying crates of ripe tomatoes from Extremadura. The official battle doesn’t start until someone climbs a greased wooden pole and retrieves a ham placed at the top. Once that prize is taken, water cannons signal the start, and for about an hour participants throw, squash and smear tomatoes across the square.
The atmosphere is festive rather than dangerous: organizers recommend softening tomatoes before the event and following safety guidelines, but the emphasis is on shared experience and enjoyment. When the hour ends, revelers rinse off in the Buñol River or are helped by locals and emergency services. Fire trucks and municipal crews work quickly to clean streets so the town can return to normal until the next year.
© Visit Valencia
Attendance is capped for safety and logistics, with around 20,000 tickets available. Visitors hoping to join should secure tickets early through the festival’s official channels. La Tomatina draws people from across the world who come for its energy, tradition and the unforgettable memories it creates.
“Each year, we eagerly anticipate La Tomatina, as it brings together people from diverse backgrounds ready to celebrate a festival that is very dear to València’s culture and is sure to create some of the best memories for its participants,” said Maximo Caletrío, promotions manager for Canada and the United States at the Visit València Foundation.