How a 1945 street brawl became the world's largest food fight
What began as a spontaneous moment of rage in a Spanish town square has evolved into a global phenomenon. Today, thousands of people descend on Buñol to pelt each other with tons of fruit, following a tradition born from a single overturned vegetable stall.
The origins of La Tomatina trace back to the last Wednesday of August in 1945. During a parade of 'Giants and Big-Heads' in Buñol, Spain, a participant's mask fell off, sparking a fit of rage. This led to a chaotic skirmish where a local vegetable market stall was destroyed, and bystanders began throwing tomatoes at one another. By 1946, local youths began organizing their own pre-planned tomato fights, establishing a yearly tradition.
The festival's history is marked by political tension. In the early 1950s, Francisco Franco banned the event because it lacked religious significance. Despite arrests and prohibitions, the townspeople persisted. After a period of cancellation, the festival was revived in 1957 following a symbolic 'tomato funeral,' where residents paraded a coffin containing a large tomato to a funeral march. This act of defiance successfully pressured authorities to permit the event officially.
As the festival grew in popularity, it transitioned from a local riot to a regulated international attraction. In 2002, it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest. However, the sheer scale of the crowd eventually necessitated changes. To prevent overwhelming Buñol's population of approximately 9,000 people, the festival became a ticketed event in 2013, capping attendance at 20,000 participants. While the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tradition continues, with over 22,000 people participating in the 80th anniversary in August 2025.
The battle itself is a structured spectacle. It follows the 'Palo Jabón,' a challenge where participants attempt to climb a greased pole to retrieve a piece of ham. Once the ham falls, the hour-long tomato fight begins. To ensure safety, organizers mandate that tomatoes be squashed before throwing and that participants avoid targeting buildings or visible targets. Interestingly, the citric acid in the discarded fruit often leaves the town's surfaces cleaner than before the fight.
Source: La Tomatina
