Nearly 20 participants from around the world clashed with tomatoes in the streets of Buñol on Wednesday for the famous Tomatina. For an hour, 000 tons of overripe fruit flew around in an electric atmosphere, transforming the small Spanish town into a giant red bath. Clothes, faces, and hair were covered in pulp, while the music gave the party the feel of an open-air rave.
An edition under the sign of therapy and politics
This 80th edition was held under the slogan "Tomaterapia," in tribute to the resilience of Buñol, which was hit by severe flooding in 2024. The tradition, which began in 1945 as an impromptu fight between children, has become a global attraction, interrupted only by the Covid-19 pandemic. But this year, the event also took on a political dimension: a left-wing party supported the initiative of residents waving Palestinian flags and a banner against Israel's war in Gaza.
To reassure skeptics, organizers point out that the tomatoes used are unfit for human consumption and grown especially for the occasion. At the end of the battle, a cannon shot signaled the ceasefire. Participants then rushed to the communal showers, while the streets were cleaned of the sticky red carpet left by the celebration.
