La Tomatina is the World’s

La Tomatina is the world’s largest food fight festival, held annually in the Spanish city of Buñol. Thousands of participants gather to throw over 100 tons of ripe tomatoes at each other through the city streets for an hour of joyful mayhem.

 

Festival Main Information :

When: The last Wednesday of August each year.

2025: August 27.

2026: August 26.

Location: Buñol, Valencia, Spain.

Unique Tradition: The event begins with the “palo jabón,” where participants try to climb a wooden pole smeared with fat to reach the pork leg (ham) at the top.

Duration: The tomato fight lasts exactly one hour, usually starting at 11:00 or 12:00 noon.

 

Visitor Guide :

Tickets: Since 2013, the number of participants has been limited to 20,000 for safety reasons. Basic tickets can be purchased online at the official La Tomatina website, priced between €12 and €15.

Important Rules: Tomatoes must be crushed before throwing to avoid injury, and participants are prohibited from ripping off other people’s clothing.

Clothing Tips: Wear old clothes you’re ready to throw away and goggles to protect your eyes from the tomato acid.

La Tomatina began on the last Wednesday of August in 1945, when young men spent time in the town square attending a parade of giants and giant figures. The youths, mostly men, chose to join the parade along with musicians.

The enthusiasm of the youths caused one of the participants to fall, which angered him and led him to start hitting anyone in his path. At that time, a market—one of the areas with shelves of vegetables for sale—became the victim of the ensuing chaos: People began throwing tomatoes at each other until local officials arrived to stop the fighting.

The following year, the youths chose to fight in their own way, bringing tomatoes from their homes. Although the police also stopped them, the youths had already made history without realizing it.