La Tomatina 2026: thousands turn Spanish town red in annual tomato fight

Thousands of revellers pelted each other with up to 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes in the Spanish town of Buñol on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina festival.

Thousands pelted one another with overripe tomatoes at La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain. The food fight began in 1945 and drew international crowds by the 1980s. About 40% of people come from abroad. One rule: Squash tomatoes before throwing them.

Held on the last Wednesday of August, the festival traces its origins to a food fight in 1945.

Thousands have descended on a small Spanish town for the annual La Tomatina food fight

The epic La Tomatina food fight drew foreigners to paint a small Spanish town red  AP News

The messy melee takes place for over an hour in the town of Bunol, where buildings are covered with tarps ahead of the festivities.

Thousands of revelers descended on Buñol on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina food fight, where they were set to paint the small Spanish town red with up to 165 tons of overripe tomatoes.

Over 20,000 participants hurled 165 tonnes of tomatoes in Buñol's streets during Spain's famed La Tomatina festival.

The epic La Tomatina food fight paints a small Spanish town red  Toronto Star

The messy melee takes place for over an hour in the town, where buildings are covered with tarps ahead of the festivities.