Thousands of individuals flocked to Buñol on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina festival, where they drenched the quaint Spanish town in red using around 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The chaotic tomato battle lasted for over an hour in the town situated near València, with buildings shielded by tarps in anticipation of the event. The tradition of this festival can be traced back to a food fight that originated in 1945.
This year, the event is expected to draw over 20,000 participants, with reports from the Spanish EFE news agency indicating that nearly 40% of attendees in the past three years have been international tourists. Non-local visitors are required to purchase a 15-euro ticket to join in the fun. The primary safety rule is to crush the tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries, although many attendees opt for additional protection by wearing swimming goggles and earplugs.
The festival atmosphere was captured in vivid images showing people joyfully engaging in the tomato fight on the streets, some hurling tomatoes from trucks, while others sat amidst the tomato-covered chaos.