150 tons of tomatoes for the party : welcome to La Tomatina
On Wednesday, August 25, 2027, the small town of Buñol, near Valencia, will celebrate the 80th edition of La Tomatina: an hour of battle with ripe tomatoes, the greatest food battle in the world.
One hour, 150 tons, 22,000 fighters
The principle is to hold in one sentence: at noon, a rocket rang, seven trucks pouring their cargo — 150 tons of tomatoes in 2026 — and for exactly one hour, 22,000 participants from all over the world threw them in a good mood. A second rocket blow, at 1 p.m., put an end to hostilities immediately. Before the battle, the palo jabón saw the most reckless climb to a greased mast to pick up a ham.
Born of a fight in 1945
It all began on the last Wednesday of August 1945, during the Giants and Big Heads parade: a bulldozer, a young man on the ground, and the tomatoes of a nearby stall become projectiles. Repeated the following year, forbidden in the early 1950s, the battle was reauthorized in 1957, after a "toma funeral" organized in protest. The town hall has been supplying tomatoes since 1980; the festival has been classified as an international touristic interest since 2002.
Practical information
La Tomatina — Buñol (province of Valencia, Spain) · Every last Wednesday in August · 80th edition: Wednesday 25 August 2027, Battle from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. · Mandatory ticket (15 € in 2026), limited to 22 000 places — recent editions show full months in advance.
— Moïse 1er, the Festival Explorer