If it’s the last Wednesday in August, it must be the messiest festival in the world.
In Buñol, Spain, just 40km (25 miles) west of Valencia, the La Tomatina festival is a fun and messy tomato-throwing event.
Every year, 20,000 people join in to throw tomatoes and have a blast. Save the date!
La Tomatina Festival falls on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
If you’ve ever wanted to be part of this festival, here’s Top Travel Foodist with all the information you need to enjoy this unique and crazy celebration.
What is La Tomatina?
The ticketed fun of La Tomatina happens in Plaza del Pueblo (Buñol’s main square) and Calle Cid.
At around 9am, a big greased pole with a ham on top is raised into the air.
People scramble and push to try and pull it down. At exactly 11am, even if no one gets the ham (which is rare), a firework goes off.
This tells trucks to dump over 100 tons of squishy, overripe tomatoes onto the square.
For the next hour, everyone joins a crazy, happy tomato fight.
A second firework goes off to signal the end of La Tomatina.
Why is La Tomatina Celebrated
According to the La Tomatina website, the festival started in 1945.
It began when a fight broke out during a parade in Buñol, causing a vegetable stand to be knocked over.
The next year, people brought their own tomatoes and continued the food fight.
In the early 1950s, the festival was banned, but a “tomato burial” protest in 1957 led to La Tomatina becoming an official festival.
Since 2013, La Tomatina has required tickets to keep the crowd size to a manageable 20,000 people.
What to Pack for La Tomatina
- Bring a change of clothes, including shoes.
- You can usually leave them on the coach to Buñol.
- If not, bring a backpack-style dry bag.
- Buñol City Council now provides showers, so you can clean up a bit before getting back on the bus.
- Pack a chest strap if you want to film the La Tomatina action with a GoPro. You’ll need your hands free to throw or block tomatoes.
- Bring a fully waterproof phone case with a sturdy neck strap if you want to take your phone.
What to Wear to La Tomatina
For this festival, wear old clothes and closed shoes with good grip.
Bring swimming goggles to protect your eyes from the stinging tomato juice.
Ski goggles work too but can get pulled off easily.
Don’t wear a hat. Outer layers often get torn, so women should wear a tight sports bra or crop-style bikini top and swimsuit bottom.
Men should wear a snug Speedo.
How long does the tomato fight last?
At La Tomatina, the tomato fight lasts about an hour. The chaos ends when the second firework goes off.
La Tomatina: Top To-Do List
- Do squish your tomatoes before throwing them. This helps avoid hurting anyone. But remember, not everyone will be so careful.
- Do look up! Locals throw tomatoes from their apartments above the square.
- Do watch out for your friends and people around you. The festival can get very crowded and messy. If you don’t like crowds and mess, this festival isn’t for you.
- Do stop throwing tomatoes once the second firework ignites. That means the festival is over.
- Do check your travel insurance. The ticket includes insurance, but make sure it covers what you need.
La Tomatina: Top To-Don’t List
- Don’t try to avoid getting hit with tomatoes. Just enjoy it!
- Don’t wear any jewelry, especially hoop earrings, as they can get painfully ripped out.
- Don’t bring bottles or hard objects; they aren’t allowed in the festival area.
- Don’t get too close to the tomato trucks; you don’t want to get pushed under the tires.
- Don’t drink too much alcohol the night before or the morning of this festival. The smell of rotting tomatoes in the summer sun is terrible with a hangover. Instead, drink plenty of water because it gets very hot while waiting for the fun to start.
- Don’t get too rough. Pushing, shoving, and tearing people’s clothes on purpose is not OK.
How to reach the La Tomatina festival
You can reach Valencia Airport (VLC). It takes about an hour by bus to get to Buñol from Valencia.
If you buy festival tickets on the La Tomatina website, they now include round-trip bus rides from other cities in Spain like Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Almería, Benidorm, Dénia, Calpe, and Cartagena.
This means you can just come for the day and enjoy the fun.
Remember, if you’re coming from Barcelona, buses leave at 3:30 am.
Where should I stay?
Most people who don’t just come for the day stay in Valencia, so book your place early.
You can also find hostels and hotels on the La Tomatina website if you want to meet other festivalgoers.
If you’re traveling on your own, think about staying in Buñol for the week-long celebration.
There will be music, dancing, parades, and fireworks.
The night before the tomato fight, there’s a paella-cooking contest. Book early to make sure you get a place to stay in town.
Can I bring children to the festival?
The festival has no age restriction, but it’s not a good idea to bring young kids because it can get very wild (many people get hurt every year).
It’s easy to get lost in the crowd, so if you bring children, pick a meeting spot before it starts and write your phone number on their arm with a permanent marker.
A safer option for kids is the La Tomatina Infantil (Tomatina Kids) event for ages 4–12, held in Plaza del Pueblo a week before the main festival.
This year’s “mini battle,” which lasts up to 40 minutes, will be at noon on August 24.
What can I explore after the festival?
One great thing about staying in Valencia is that you can easily go to the official after-party for La Tomatina.
You can get tickets for it on the La Tomatina website.
Valencia, where paella was invented, is a beautiful coastal city that’s definitely worth exploring after the festival.
Conclusion
La Tomatina 2024 is going to be an unforgettable event!
On the last Wednesday in August, Buñol, Spain, turns into a sea of red with 20,000 people throwing tomatoes for an hour of messy fun.
Make sure to bring old clothes, goggles, and a waterproof phone case.
Don’t forget to squish the tomatoes before throwing them and look out for your friends in the crowd.
After the festival, head to Valencia for the official after-party and explore the beautiful coastal city.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned participant, it is a unique experience you won’t want to miss.