La Tomatina Festival 2022

Spain's messiest festival, La Tomatina, returns for 2022!

Buñol a small town set amongst scenic countryside in eastern Spain (some 40KM west of Valencia), is a peaceful place, home to winding cobbled streets and picturesque whitewashed houses, overlooked by a historic, 13th-century castle.

It is much like many other, rural, Spanish towns, that is until, once a year, hordes of people descend on its main square for the biggest food fight on the planet!

The world-famous, La Tomatina, is a festival like no other. Each year, on the last Wednesday of August, some 30,000 people gather on Buñol's central square and lob overripe tomatoes at each other until they are transformed into a sea of bright red! It started in 1945 after some young teens disrupted the local festivities whilst trying to join a parade, sparking a massive tomato-throwing battle that would go down in history!

After a two-year enforced hiatus, the festival returns this August 31. At around 11 am tonnes of tomatoes will be dumped in the town's main square, and at midday, a starting signal will to mark the beginning of the festival. After 1 hour, a further sound will signal the end of proceedings, and a short while later, fire trucks will come and hose down the streets (and people).

Although most people just come for the day (there is a morning train from Valencia), you can also choose a more immersive experience, and enjoy the festivities that take place all week which encompasses music, dancing, parades and fireworks!

GO TO LA TOMATINA

La Tomatina is an annual tomato-throwing festival which takes place in Buñol near Valencia. It’s the perfect excuse to lob rotten tomatoes at your mates, strangers and mortal enemies (if you can coax them to Spain).

PLAN YOUR TOMATINA TRIP