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During the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight in the Valencia region, revelers throw tomatoes at each other. Photo: Alberto Saiz/AP/dpa
Keystone
Tomatoes were flying again in Spain. Around 22,000 people took part in the crazy and traditional tomato battle "La Tomatina" in Buñol in the east of the country. For an hour, the participants threw the overripe and squishy fruit at each other. Around 120 tons of tomatoes were used as ammunition, which, according to the organizers, were grown especially for the festival and were unsuitable for human consumption. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the largest food fight in the world.
Many of the approximately 10,000 inhabitants of Buñol took part in the 78th edition of the unusual party, but above all thousands of tourists who had traveled from home and abroad to the town in the Valencia region. The Spanish state TV station RTVE reported enthusiastic visitors from China and India, among others. The newspaper "El País" saw "countless English, Japanese and Australians, among others."
Some of the "warriors" were wearing diving masks. Some carried Palestinian flags in solidarity with the suffering people in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the "battle" began at 12.00 noon, the main square and streets of Buñol, around 40 kilometers west of the Valencia metropolis, were covered in a muddy red slurry.
Crazy folk festival to massage the soul after a natural disaster
This year, the "Tomatina" was also renamed "Tomaterapia" for a change. This means something like "tomato therapy". After the devastating storms at the end of October 2024, which caused extensive property damage and 228 deaths in Valencia alone, this time the festival was intended to help the region's citizens come to terms with their experiences, heal their emotional wounds and recharge their batteries. "Tomatoes against the gloom" was the headline of the regional digital newspaper "Actualidad Valencia".
"La Tomatina" has always been held on the last Wednesday in August since 1945. Over the last 20 years, the festival has become so popular, especially with foreigners, that the number of participants - which had risen to over 50,000 at times - was limited to 22,000 for the first time in 2013. Since 2013, everyone who is not registered in the municipality has also had to pay admission. The cheapest ticket now costs 15 euros. This does not detract from its popularity. Hollywood star Blake Lively took part in the festival for the 2015 film "All I See Is You".
27.08.2025, 17:35
