La Tomatina 2026 draws thousands to Buñol for tomato fight

Thousands of revellers packed the streets of Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for the 79th La Tomatina, where 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes were hurled over about an hour Source: euronewsen. The festival, held on the last Wednesday of August, traces its origins to a 1945 food fight and was banned by dictator Francisco Franco in the 1950s before returning in 1959 Source: euronewsen.

The event

More than 20,000 people were expected to participate, with roughly 40% coming from outside Spain Source: apnews. The event has seen a notable rise in Indian visitors, attributed to the 2011 Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Source: aljazeera. Participants are required to squash tomatoes before throwing to avoid injuries, and many wear goggles and earplugs Source: apnews.

Security and logistics

Authorities covered buildings with tarps and deployed police. Al Jazeera reported that police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse part of the crowd before festivities resumed Source: aljazeera. Non-local attendees pay €15 ($17.50) for a ticket Source: apnews.

Background

La Tomatina became an annual tradition after 1945, was banned in the 1950s, and gained international fame through televised coverage in the 1980s Source: apnews. Similar events have been held in Florida, London, Amsterdam, Colombia, and India Source: apnews.