The Tomatina
The world's biggest tomato battle — an hour of red madness, one of the most unusual festivals in the world · Buñol, Valencia Province (Valencian Community), Spain
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The festival
Every last Wednesday in August, the small town of Buñol, 40 km from Valencia, becomes the arena of the world's greatest food battle — a record recorded at the Guinness of the record. At noon, a rocket gives the signal: for exactly an hour, 22,000 participants from all over the world are confronted with ripe tomatoes, dumped into the heart of the village by seven trucks. In 2026, 150 tons of tomatoes turned the streets into a red sea where people swim, slide and laugh like nowhere else.
Before the battle, the most agile take up the challenge of palo jabón: climbing a greased mast to get the ham hung on top. Born of an improvised fight in 1945, declared a festival of international tourist interest, La Tomatina is undoubtedly one of the most unusual festivals in the world — and one of the most joyfully absurd.
The children also have their battle: the Tomatina Infantil, reserved for 4-14 years old, takes place on the Saturday before the big party — the same sensations, in complete safety, under the emotional eyes of the families. And when the second rocket sounds at 1 p.m., the streets are washed by jet: it is said to Buñol that the acidity of the tomato leaves them cleaner than before the party.
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Good to know
Organised by the town hall (Ayuntamiento) of Buñol; Fiesta de Internacional since 2002. Mandatory ticket since 2013: tonnage capped at 22,000 participants, basic ticket at 15 € (editions 2024, 2025 and 2026 complete). Tomatoes — 150 tons in 2026, from Don Benito (Badajoz) — are cultivated especially for the event and unfit for consumption; each must be crushed before being launched. Official contact published: [email protected] (office of the festival: C/ Cid no 20, 46360 Buñol; tel. +34 653 672 174). Photo: official image published on latomatina.info.
The festival in images
Official photos of the festival, published in the official gallery of the edition 2026 on its official website latomatina.info.
Video
La Tomatina 2023 — live broadcast (official festival channel)
La Tomatina 2023 — the battle seen by a traveller (The Traveler)
La Tomatina — live coverage by the Reuters agency
In our articles
To see around the festival
- Buñol Castle — fortress of XIIIe century, one of the best preserved in the Valencian Community, with inhabited houses in its enclosure and the archaeological museum of the Mercader Palace.
- The Cueva Turche and the Charco de Turche — natural amphitheatre, cascade of about 60 meters and clear lake on the Ruta del Agua, a few minutes from the centre.
- Old Town and San Luis Park — flowered alleys around the church of San Pedro, hermitage of San Luis Bertrán, its source and auditorium.
