
La Tomatina ( Spanish pronunciation: [la tomaˈtina]) is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in the East of Spain 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.
What to do at Tomatina?
Tomatina is now one of the best world festivals, and thousands flock to just throw tomatoes at each other every year! Once you’re all showered off you can join the Tomatina After Party, although showering isn’t actually a necessity, I just feel you’ll make more friends that way.
What is La La Tomatina?
La Tomatina is a tomato-throwing festival where participants are not only allowed, but encouraged to hurl tomatoes at one another during a full-on, two-hour-long food fight. Its purpose is purely for entertainment. The festival carries on a tradition that started in 1945 and has now become a staple of Spanish tradition in Valencia.
Do you have to pay to get into La Tomatina?
In 2012, Buñol began requiring payment for entrance to La Tomatina, and the number of tickets was limited to 22,000, though the previous year had seen upwards of 45,000 visitors to the area. In 2002, La Tomatina was added to the list of Fiestas of International Tourist Interest.
What are the rules of the La Tomatina festival?
The Rules of La Tomatina Festival Do not enter bottles or hard objects because you can cause an accident or damages to your battle’s fellows. Do not tear or throw your T-shirts nor other’s T-shirt. Squash the tomatoes before throwing them, the hit will be less painful.

What do party goers do during the Tomatina?
Called La Tomatina, it entails party-goers throwing tomatoes at each other for an entire hour! The annual festival, which took place on August 28, 2019, is believed to have begun accidentally.
What is thrown at La Tomatina?
La Tomatina is a festivity that is celebrated in Valencia, specifically in Buñol, a city in the east of Spain. During the festival the participants throw tomatoes at each other and take part in a food fight for fun.
Do tomatoes hurt when thrown?
Tomatoes must be squashed before throwing them. Whole tomatoes are more likely to cause bruising and injury.
What are the two rules for La Tomatina?
The Rules of La TomatinaDo not bring bottles or hard objects as they can cause accidents and hurt other participants.Do not rip other people's T-shirts.You must squash the tomatoes before throwing them as this reduces the impact.Ensure you keep a safe distance from the lorries.More items...
What is the purpose of La Tomatina?
Its purpose is purely for entertainment.
Where did the food fight for La Tomatina take place?
Paella is undeniably Spain’s most popular dish and it originated in Valencia, the region where La Tomatina takes place.
What time does the tomato throwing last?
Keep in mind that the actual tomato throwing lasts only from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., so if you plan on buying your tickets upon entrance, you may want to arrive early.
How many pounds of tomatoes in 2 hours?
That’s 300,000 pounds of tomatoes in just two hours! Though some might consider this wasteful, the tomatoes are over-ripe and come from the Extremadura region in Spain, where tomatoes are less expensive. There’s A Special La Tomatina Event For Kids.
How to get rid of tomato mush?
1. Bring Earplugs And Goggles. You don’t want to underestimate the number of mushy tomatoes that are going to be thrown your way (remember…150 tons of the fruit are involved) at La Tomatina, and bringing a couple of pairs of earplugs will help eliminate the tomato residue from getting in your ears.
What time is the Tomatina kickoff?
At approximately 10 a.m., just one hour before the food fight, a ham is placed on top of a greased pole, and a competitor has to climb and reach the top to retrieve it. Loud singing and dancing accompany this event, which is known as the official La Tomatina kickoff. Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.
What to wear to keep tomato puree out of eyes?
Many Tomatina participants also wear goggles or snorkeling gear to keep the tomato puree out of their eyes and nose, so this is something to consider as well. Plastic visors are another great way to eliminate tomato residue on your head, and they’ll block out Spain’s blistering summer sun. 2.
What to wear to throw out a tomato fight?
Wear old clothes or clothes that you are not going to wear later. If so, ready to throw them away. White t-shirt: a perfect combination. Wear shoes with a decent grip so that you can throw them out later, just keep them on your feet. Avoid using flip-flops; you can lose them in the tomato fight.
Is La Tomatina the best summer experience?
La Tomatina is the best summer experience in the world. But if you want to have a fun Tomato Fight, you must respect the Rules of La Tomatina:
What is La Tomatina?
La Tomatina is a tomato fight festival held each year on the last Wednesday of August. It takes place in the small town of Buñol near Valencia city in Spain. Thousands of people from all over the world are coming to this fight which is in fact, World’s Biggest Food Fight.
Do I need a ticket to see La Tomatina?
Yes and no. If you want to take part in the main fight and throw some tomatoes, yes, you need a ticket. There is an area in the Buñol town that is dedicated to the fight and you can get there only with a ticket.
Where to get the ticket and how much does it cost?
Tickets to La Tomatina cost €12 each and can be reserved and printed out on the official La Tomatina website here. Alternatively, you can book an organized tour to La Tomatina with numerous companies. Organized tours are much more expensive and cost between 100 and 150 EUR, but include more than just a ticket to the fight.
Can I get to La Tomatina from other Spanish cities?
Yes, there is also an option to book La Tomatina trip from Madrid or Barcelona but it’s way more expensive. I would rather recommend you to travel to Valencia on your own. Train connections are pretty frequent and it will be much cheeper than an organized tour from Barcelona or Madrid.
How to get to the fight place?
You have two options. If you have booked organized tour, you just need to go to the departure spot, find your bus and they will take you there. If you are traveling without an organized tour you need to take a train from Valencia Central Station. It’s about 40km away from Buñol and actual schedule info you can check here www.renfe.es .
Where to stay?
Although, there are some possibilities to stay overnight in Buñol, the number of places is very limited. I would really recommend you to stay in Valencia. Unfortunately I cannot recommend you any specific place as I stayed in the Airbnb apartment that was absolutely disappointing.
How does the tomato fight look like?
The tomato fight takes place in the Plaza Mayor, main part of Buñol. Early morning shopkeepers and business owners of the town cover windows and doors in preparation for the upcoming fight.
What is the main event of La Tomatina?
La Tomatina is not just a short tomato fight. The week leading up to the main event is filled with parades, fireworks and paella cooking contests on the streets of the town.
What is the tomato fight?
The one-hour tomato fight is such a big draw that it makes the little town of Buñol one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. Accommodation is scarce and expensive in the town itself, so most arrive on packed trains from Valencia.
What is the wackiest festival in Spain?
Spanish festivals have a reputation for being wacky, and La Tomatina is probably the wackiest of them all. Every year, the end of August sees the streets of the small Valencian town of Buñol become rivers of tomato juice, as people from all over the world throw over-ripe tomatoes at each other in this state-sanctioned food fight.
How many tomatoes are used in the tomato fight?
Around 40 metric tonnes of tomatoes are used. The fight only lasts for one hour, but during that time around 150,000 over-ripe tomatoes are splattered. These tomatoes were probably never going to be eaten – they’re low in quality, inferior in taste and are bought very cheaply from the Extremadura region of Spain.
Do tomatoes keep you clean?
Tomatoes keep you clean. Tomatoes are apparently a natural disinfectant, meaning that after La Tomatina your skin will be cleansed of impurities. The town is also left surprisingly clean, with firefighters hosing down the streets – and people – after the battle.
What is the Tomatina pole dash?
The Tomatina pole dash. Tomatina isn’t just a tomato fight, there’s also the pole dash. A huge pole is covered in grease and anyone who fancies their chances can climb up to try and get the huge ham at the top, just for the glory.
What happened in the food fight?
And the food fight started. 2) There was a big Spanish festival going on, one with the big heads and one person pushed the other and ended in a fight.
Can you shower at Tomatina after party?
Tomatina After Party. Once you’re all showered off you can join the Tomatina After Party, although showering isn’t actually a necessity , I just feel you’ll make more friends that way. Head back towards the buses and you’ll find stalls, music, bars, and street parties set up to carry on the party. Enjoy guys, enjoy.
When Is La Tomatina Festival?
La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday in August of every year in Buñol. This small town is located right outside Valencia. This tradition has brought thousand of people every year to participate starting in 1945. 20,000 limited tickets are sold due to safety.
The Day Of The Event
After the festival, I doubt you will want to bring back any tomato stained clothes.
