Thousands of revelers gathered in Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina festival, transforming the small town into a scene of tomato-fueled chaos. Approximately 165 tons of overripe tomatoes were used in the hour-long event.
The festival takes place on the last Wednesday of August, with buildings in the town covered in tarps to protect them from the onslaught of tomatoes. This year's event drew an estimated 20,000 participants.
La Tomatina's origins trace back to a spontaneous food fight in 1945. It became an annual tradition until it was banned by Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in the 1950s. Media attention in the 1980s helped revive the festival, elevating it to a national and subsequently an international attraction.
Roughly 40% of participants in recent years have been tourists from outside Spain, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. The festival has seen a notable increase in visitors from India, partly due to its depiction in the 2011 Bollywood film “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (“You Only Live Once”). Romail Khokhar, a 27-year-old participant from Mumbai, stated that the movie first introduced him to the festival.
Non-local attendees are required to purchase a ticket for 15 euros ($17.50). The primary rule of the festival is to squash tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries. Many participants wear swimming goggles and earplugs for protection.
A cannon blast signals the end of the hour-long event, after which crowds typically wash off at communal showers. The town's streets are later hosed down. The acidic nature of the tomatoes is said to leave the streets cleaner than before the festivities.
Similar tomato-throwing events have been organized in various locations globally, including Florida, London, Amsterdam, Sutamarchán in Colombia, and Hyderabad, India.