'Tomatina' battle returns after pandemic

La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town, Spain, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.

WAHT IS TOMATINA ?

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Workers on trucks unloaded 130 tons of over-ripe tomatoes along the main street of the eastern town of Bunol, Spain

Up to 20,000 people were to take part in the festival, paying 12 euros ($12) a ticket for the privilege.

Participants don swimming goggles to protect their eyes while their clothes, typically T-shirts and shorts, are left covered in pulp

Besides being the first battle since before the pandemic started in 2020 in Spain

The amount of trash we generate personally on a daily and annual basis is staggering. Whenever possible, bring your own utensils and bags.

this year’s celebration had the added incentive of being the event’s 75th anniversary and 20 years since the festival was declared by Spain as an international tourism attraction

People from around the world have pasted each other with tomatoes as Spain’s famous “Tomatina” street tomato fight

The event, held on the last Wednesday of August, was inspired by a food fight between local children in 1945 in the town, located in a tomato-producing region.

Media attention in the 1980s turned it into a national and international event, drawing participants from every corner of the world.

Revellers throw tomatoes at each other during the annual "Tomatina", tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain