Spain's Tomatina festival: 15,000 gather for annual tomato street fight in Buñol

In a tomato-flinging spectacle that drew 15,000 participants, including tourists, Spain's renowned "Tomatina" street brawl unfolded on Wednesday in the eastern town of Buñol.

As the clock struck noon, workers aboard trucks unloaded a staggering 120 tons of overripe tomatoes onto the town's main street, providing ammunition for the raucous crowd. The result? A scene of red chaos that left the street, its houses, and the enthusiastic combatants drenched in tomato pulp.

Tickets for entry into this tomato frenzy began at 12 euros (approximately USD 13). Once the hour-long battle concluded, the town swiftly deployed hoses to cleanse the area, allowing revelers to rinse off the residue of the juicy showdown within minutes.


This lively festival, which consistently occurs on the last Wednesday of August, traces its roots back to 1945 when local children engaged in a spontaneous tomato skirmish in Buñol, which is located in a tomato-producing region. However, it was during the 1980s that the event gained significant media attention, propelling it onto the national and international stage. Since then, it has attracted participants from every corner of the globe.

To safeguard themselves from the tomato onslaught, participants don swimming goggles and typically don T-shirts and shorts. Spain proudly designates this tomato extravaganza as a prime international tourism attraction, cementing its status as an event cherished both by locals and visitors alike.

(With inputs from AP)