La Tomatina de Buñol

For one hour, La Tomatina turns the centre of Buñol, in the province of Valencia, into a great collective tomato battle. The festival combines a tradition born in the neighbourhood with a controlled access organisation that welcomes participants from numerous countries.

Celebration date

The battle takes place on last wednesday of august. Its characteristic schedule is from 12:00 to 13:00, delimited by two shells: the first begins the tossing of tomatoes and the second forces it to stop. La Tomatina is not in itself a general public holiday; The work calendar depends on the official declarations applicable to each year.

View the La Tomatina 2026 programme, confirmed by the Buñol City Council.

Lugar y recorrido

The battle occupies the historic centre of Buñol. The trucks travel the limited route while unloading the tomatoes into the crowd. The Plaza del Pueblo concentrates the previous atmosphere and the traditional soap stick. For security reasons, access to the battle site is limited and requires entry, except for special conditions established by the organisation for residents.

Also check out the festivals of Buñol.

Origin and history

The City Council places the origin in 1945, during a parade of giants and big heads. An altercation between young people ended next to a vegetable stand and led to a spontaneous throwing of tomatoes. The following year it was deliberately repeated, this time with tomatoes brought by the participants themselves.

The celebration was banned during the 1950s. In 1957, the neighbourhood staged the so-called tomato burial, with a coffin and a funeral march, in protest. The festival ended up becoming institutionalized and gained national and international projection. In 2002 he received the declaration of Festival of International Tourist Interest.

How the battle unfolds

  • The morning begins with the arrival of participants and the previous atmosphere in the urban centre.
  • The soap stick challenges you to climb a soapy pole until you reach the ham placed at the top.
  • A first casing announces the beginning and the trucks distribute the tomatoes along the route.
  • For an hour, participants crush the tomatoes before throwing them.
  • The second carcass marks the end: from that moment on, tomatoes can no longer be thrown.
  • Then the cleaning of the streets and the attendees begins.

Normas y acceso

Official rules prohibit bringing bottles or hard objects, breaking or throwing t-shirts, and getting too close to the trucks. Tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown and security personnel must be obeyed. It is recommended to wear closed shoes, old clothing and eye protection, in addition to keeping cameras and phones protected from water and shock.

Attendance at the battle site is subject to entry and controls. Traffic cut-off times, bracelet exchange points and access conditions may vary, so they must be checked on the official channels of each edition.

Tomatina Infantil

Since 2013 there has been a children's version in the People's Square. It is designed for boys and girls from 4 to 12 years old, with adapted duration and quantity of tomato. It is usually scheduled on the Saturday before the main battle, but its date and time must be verified each year.

Organisation and participants

The Buñol City Council organises the device together with security, emergency, cleaning and volunteer personnel. Neighbors and visitors from Spain and abroad participate. The capacity limitation and the ticket system make it possible to manage a mass gathering in narrow streets in the centre.

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