La Tomatina 2025: Thousands descend on Buñol for annual tomato battle
Over 20,000 people joined La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain, using 165 tons of tomatoes in an hour-long battle that has roots in 1945.
The small Spanish town of Buñol was painted red on Wednesday as thousands of participants took part in the annual La Tomatina festival. Organisers prepared up to 165 tons of overripe tomatoes for the hour-long food fight, with buildings across the town covered in tarpaulins to protect them from the mess.
More than 20,000 people were expected to join the event this year. Recent data suggests that around 40% of attendees over the past three years have been international tourists, with a notable rise in visitors from India.
The surge in Indian interest is largely attributed to the 2011 Bollywood film 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', which featured a recreation of the festival. Romail Khokhar, a 27-year-old clothing business owner from Mumbai, said the movie first drew him to Buñol. He was participating in the food fight for the third time on Wednesday, describing it as the best festival he has ever attended.
The tradition dates back to a spontaneous food fight in 1945. It became an annual event but was banned by dictator Francisco Franco in the 1950s. The festival gained national prominence in the 1980s through television coverage and has since become an international attraction.
Tickets for non-local attendees cost 15 euros. Participants are required to squash tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries, though many still wear swimming goggles and earplugs for extra protection. The event ends with a cannon blast, after which crowds clean up at communal showers and the streets are hosed down. The citric acid in the tomatoes often leaves the town's streets cleaner than before.