The small town of Bunol in eastern Spain was drenched in red on Wednesday as thousands of revelers took part in the annual Tomatina festival, a wild and exuberant celebration that has become a global attraction. Held in the last week of August, the event saw around 22,000 participants, mostly dressed in white, hurling overripe tomatoes at each other in a chaotic yet joyous hour-long battle.
A fleet of seven trucks distributed a staggering 150 tons of ripe pear tomatoes to the eager crowd, many of whom had traveled from abroad to partake in the spectacle. While locals of Bunol enjoy the festivities for free, non-residents pay a fee of 15 euros (approximately $16.70) for the unique experience. One participant, Taylor from Australia, exclaimed, “We love tomatoes! That’s why we decided to come, and we had a fab time.” She added that she and her friends planned to “make some spaghetti to have with the sauce.”
The festival officially kicked off with the lighting of firecrackers, marking the start of the tomato fight. The signal was given after one brave contender managed to scale a slippery pole coated in soap to retrieve a leg of ham hanging at the top—a tradition that adds to the excitement of the event. Senam, a visitor from Kenya, described the festival as “beautiful, wonderful, creative, mind-blowing.”
After the tomato-throwing frenzy subsided, cleanup crews armed with water hoses quickly moved in to wash away the remnants of the battle. The streets of Bunol were left gleaming, thanks to the natural acidity of the tomatoes used in the festival. Interestingly, the tomatoes are grown specifically for the event and are considered too sour for consumption.
The origins of the Tomatina festival date back to 1945, during a brawl that broke out when a group of youngsters accidentally toppled a participant in a parade. Tomatoes were grabbed from a nearby stand and used as makeshift weapons until the police intervened. The following year, the youths recreated the altercation, bringing their own tomatoes. The event was banned during the 1950s under General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship but was revived in 1959 with the introduction of certain rules.
The Tomatina festival has since grown into a beloved tradition, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world who come to experience this one-of-a-kind tomato battle.
