Every year, the small town of Buñol hosts the biggest and messiest food fight in the world. Revelers come from around the world to experience the festivities, where tons of rotten tomatoes get thrown around, coating the people, the streets and the buildings. Find out more about this fun festival and how you can participate.

How did La Tomatina start?

La Tomatina first came into being in 1945, when an argument during a cultural parade in Buñol went wild. Locals from the town, 40 km (25 mi) from Valencia, became a fired-up crowd throwing a market stall of vegetables at each other.

Just for fun, the following year locals revived the fun food fight, bringing their own tomatoes from home.  In the early 1950s, the town tried to ban the festival, but a “tomato burial” held in protest paved the way for La Tomatina to be recognized as an official event. Due to the popularity of the food fight, in 2013, the town ticketed the event to allow for a more manageable 20,000 participants.

When is it held?

Held on the last Wednesday in August each year, La Tomatina is still officially Spain’s messiest festival. This tomato-throwing spectacle attracts 20,000 revelers to Buñol each year. Meanwhile, if it wasn’t for the limit, there would be tens of thousands more. Mind you, this is in a town with only 9,000 residents.

Bear in mind that if you want to attend, you must visit the official website to book your ticket well in advance.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, La Tomatina has been on ice for a couple of years, but now, the festival is set to happen again on August 31, 2022.

The festivities take place in Buñol’s main square, the Plaza del Pueblo, and Calle Cid. The event kicks off at around 9 am, when the palo-jabón, a greased pole with a ham attached to the end, is hoisted into the area. This is followed by a crazy scramble as people battle each other to pull the ham down.

Meanwhile, at 11 am, a firework signals the trucks to start tipping more than 100 tons of overripe, squashed tomatoes onto the square. It is then that the fun truly begins, as for one hour, all participants join together in a fun, epic tomato fight until a second firework signals the end of the game.

What should you pack for La Tomatina?

If you arrive on a bus, ensure you have a change of clothing (including shoes) in a bag left on the bus. Alternatively, ensure you pack them in a dry bag for later use. Luckily, the Buñol Ayuntamiento provides showers, allowing you to clean up a bit before you leave.

For the tomato fight itself, wear some old clothing that you don’t mind throwing away after the event. Also, ensure you wear closed shoes with a decent grip. It is also recommended to wear a pair of swimming goggles to protect your eyes from the acidic tomato juice. Don’t worry about looking silly as everyone totally loses their inhibitions during La Tomatina!

How to get to Buñol

If traveling from Valencia, the journey takes approximately one hour. Meanwhile, all festival tickets purchased on the La Tomatina website include same-day bus transport from other locations. These include Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Benidorm, Calpe, Cartagena, Madrid and other locations. Bear in mind that, depending on the distance, buses leave pretty early in the morning.

Where to stay?

Most visitors that aren’t catching buses from elsewhere stay over in Valencia, so it is wise to book early. Meanwhile, the La Tomatina website does offer options to book hostel or hotel accommodations. This can be fun, as you can meet other festivalgoers prior to the main event.

Browse the official website for more information about the festival and to book your ticket and, if required, accommodation. Then enjoy a wonderful, tomato-slimed time at Spain’s messiest festival on August 31, 2022, in Buñol.