La Tomatina 2026 brings 22,000 people and 150 tonnes of tomatoes to Buñol
Around 22,000 participants gathered in the Spanish town of Buñol on Wednesday to throw 150,000 kilograms of overripe tomatoes during the 79th edition of the annual festival.
The 79th tomato battle in Buñol
The 79th edition of La Tomatina took place on Wednesday in Buñol, a town of under 10,000 residents in the province of Valencia. An estimated 22,000 participants filled a 750-meter street route dressed predominantly in white clothing. Seven trucks transported 150,000 kilograms of ripe pear tomatoes, an increase of 30,000 kilograms over the 2025 edition. The produce, grown specifically for the event in Don Benito in the province of Badajoz, is unfit for human consumption. A firecracker fired at 12:00 announced the entrance of the first truck, beginning an hour-long food fight that coated streets and participants in red pulp.
- Participants gather for the greased pole climb in the town square
- Opening firecracker sounds and the first truck unloads tomatoes
- The one-hour battle ends and municipal cleaning begins
Morning traditions and battle rules
Festivities began earlier in the morning with a communal street breakfast featuring traditional local savory pastries filled with longaniza, chorizo, and pork belly. At 10:00, crowds gathered around the palo jabon, a greased pole erected in the central square with a ham mounted at the top. Under festival rules, participants must crush each tomato before throwing it to soften the impact and prevent bruising. Local residents sprayed water from balconies with hoses and buckets to wet the crowd and rinse away acidic juice. Sergio Galarza, a Buñol municipal councilor, gave instructions to first-time attendees regarding the technique for throwing tomatoes during the event.
The first thing you have to do is take it, crush it really hard so it releases its juice, and throw it at the first person you see.
International attendance and safety measures
The festival drew attendees from Spain as well as international visitors from India, Australia, the United States, Japan, China, and France. Tickets for non-residents were capped at 15,000 entries, with the remaining allocation reserved for Buñol locals. The capacity ceiling of 22,000 participants was instituted 13 years ago to control overcrowding after attendance reached 45,000 people in previous years.
- Official capacity cap
- 22000 people
- Peak crowd before limit
- 45000 people
Participants wore diving masks or ski goggles to shield their eyes from the citric acid of the tomatoes. Local authorities reported four minor medical incidents involving individuals who received pepper spray in their eyes, all of whom received on-site treatment and were discharged.
Logistics, cleanup, and origins
The fight concluded at 13:00 to the sound of the song Libre by the Valencian singer Nino Bravo. Municipal sanitation crews immediately began washing the pulp from streets and building facades, which had been covered with protective white and blue tarps along San Luis, Cid, and Pais Valenciano streets. Temporary disinfection showers were set up near the municipal stream to allow participants to wash off. The event traces its origin to an informal brawl among youths during the last Wednesday of August in 1945, with the town preparing for its 80th edition in 2027. Romail Khokhar, a 27-year-old visitor from Mumbai who traveled to Buñol after seeing the festival depicted in the Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, described his experience.
The truth is I feel very good. It is the best festival I have attended and I am having a great time here.
