La Tomatina is an annual Spanish festival held in Buñol, Spain, where thousands of people gather and throw tomatoes at each other. It takes place every year on the last Wednesday of August. Also known as the “World’s Biggest Food Fight,” La Tomatina has no confirmed origin, yet people all over the world have their theories. The most popular theory of how La Tomatina began was in 1945 during a festival when a group of people began throwing tomatoes at each other. Another popular theory is that city councilmen were attacked by dissatisfied citizens during a town celebration.
Since then, the event has quickly gained popularity and has grown to become an annual event in Spain. Unhappy with the chaos and mess the festival brought, the government had attempted to shut down the event but was unsuccessful. It wasn’t considered an official event until the 1980s. La Tomatina continued to grow in popularity, and as the event spread, thousands of people began coming to celebrate. Today, the festival hosts 20,000 people from all over the world to take part in the celebration.
Over 150,000 kilograms, or 330,000 pounds, worth of tomatoes are used during La Tomatina. However, these tomatoes used are low-quality and not fit for human consumption, lessening the effect of wastage. These tomatoes also come from local farms in Spain, boosting the nearby economy.
The festival starts early in the morning, usually around 6:00 am. People begin arriving in Buñol, some the previous night, and by morning, the town is bustling with excitement. To minimize the mess caused, streets are usually lined with plastic coverings and tarps, also assisting clean up after the festival. People also like to dress up in old clothes, goggles, and even closed-toe shoes to avoid being stepped on. After an hour of the enormous food fight, the festival concludes and the clean-up begins. Fire trucks spray down the streets with water supplied by the Roman aqueduct. After, the tomato pulp is completely hosed down and off the walls and ground of the city.
La Tomatina has also brought lots of tourism to Spain. Many visitors travel to Buñol not just for the fight, but also for the city’s unique atmosphere. The town has numerous attractions such as the landscapes, medieval architecture, and the old churches. Local businesses gain a large economic boost during the week of the fight, primarily because of the influx of tourists. However, La Tomatina is more than just a huge food fight. It is a celebration here people can come together to celebrate, have fun, and let go of stress. People from all over the world go to Spain to enjoy this festival. Though it is messy and can be chaotic, the event brings people closer and shows how much joy one day can bring.
Works Cited
“History.” Tomatina.org, tomatina.org/history-of-tomatina/.
Khokhlova, Lena. “Your Ultimate Guide to La Tomatina: Spain’s Juiciest Festival.” Trainline, 25
July 2024,
www.thetrainline.com/en-us/via/europe/spain/your-guide-to-la-tomatina-festival-in-spain.
“La Tomatina Tomato Festival. 31/08/2022. Fiestas in Buñol | Spain.info in English.” Spain.info,
www.spain.info/en/calendar/la-tomatina/.
La Tomatina Tours. “La Tomatina – the World’s Biggest and Most Famous Food Fight.”
Latomatinatours.com, 2018, www.latomatinatours.com/.