Thousands Turn Buñol Red as Spain’s Famous La Tomatina Festival Returns

Thousands of participants from Spain and around the world gathered in Buñol, near Valencia, on Wednesday for La Tomatina, the famous annual festival where participants take part in a massive tomato fight through the town’s streets.

The colourful celebration saw about 22,000 participants hurl around 150 tonnes of tomatoes at one another during an hour of chaotic festivities, turning the streets into a sea of red.

Among the international visitors was 44-year-old Luke Williams from the United Kingdom, who described the experience as unlike anything else. “Nothing like it, absolutely nothing like it anywhere else,” Williams said.

La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday of August and has grown from a local tradition into one of Spain’s best-known festivals, attracting thousands of international tourists each year. Its origins date back to an impromptu food fight among young people in 1945.

Beyond the spectacle, La Tomatina has become an important driver of tourism for Buñol and the wider Valencia region. The festival draws thousands of visitors from across Spain and abroad each year, generating business for local hotels, restaurants, transport services and other businesses. Its international appeal has also helped put the small Spanish town firmly on the global tourism map.