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3 clusters · 65 sources · 6 days · First seen 8 days ago · Last updated 3 days ago

La Tomatina festival in Buñol

Overview

The 79th edition of the La Tomatina festival in Buñol, Valencia, took place on August 26, 2026, drawing approximately 22,000 participants from roughly 20 different countries. The hour-long event utilized 150 tons of overripe tomatoes, a 30-ton increase from the previous year. The supply was sourced from the Don Benito region in Badajoz to ensure the fruit was soft enough to minimize injury risk.

To ensure safety, participants followed rules requiring tomatoes to be crushed before throwing. The festival also featured the ‘+ ACCESSIBLE’ plan, which utilizes pictograms, identification bracelets, and a reinforced volunteer team to assist people with disabilities. Recent data indicates growing international interest, with approximately 40% of participants over the last three years being tourists from outside Spain. Notably, there has been an increase in visitors from India, a trend linked to the 2011 Bollywood film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’.

While the festivities proceeded largely without major incident, four individuals required medical attention after pepper spray was used to disperse a crowd. The affected participants were treated on-site by medical staff and discharged after receiving eye washes. Vicent Mompó, president of the Diputació de València, participated in the event and confirmed continued provincial funding for the festival.

Despite the event’s popularity, it continues to face criticisms regarding the waste of water and agricultural products; however, organizers maintain that the tomatoes used are unsuitable for human consumption due to their specific texture and taste.

Entities

Buñol · La Tomatina · RTVE · Valencia · À Punt

Timeline

3 days ago

[CULTURE] 51 sources
La Tomatina festival in Buñol draws 22,000 participants
The annual La Tomatina festival in Buñol, Spain, saw 22,000 participants throw 150,000 kg of tomatoes during its 79th edition on August 26, 2026.
6 days ago

[CULTURE] 10 sources
Buñol prepares for La Tomatina festival with 150,000 kg of tomatoes
Buñol prepares for the 79th La Tomatina festival, expecting 22,000 participants and 150,000 kg of tomatoes, supported by increased train capacity and extensive live media coverage.
8 days ago

[CULTURE] 9 sources
Buñol prepares for La Tomatina 2026 following successful children's festival
Buñol's Tomatina Infantil saw 1,000 children use 5,000kg of tomatoes. The main festival follows on August 26, with RTVE providing unprecedented live coverage of the 22,000-person event.

Sources

20minutos.com.mx · actualitatvalenciana.com · agf.nl · amigoearuba.com · apuntmedia.es · baotintuc.vn · blesk.cz · castellondiario.com · ccaa.elpais.com · cronicadecantabria.com · efeagro.com · elcorreoweb.es · empreendedorismo.pt · es.euronews.com · esdiario.com · estoesdxt.es · fr.euronews.com · guvengazetesi.com.tr · harodigital.com · hoyunclick.es · htv.vn · incp.org.co · index.hr · indianexpressgroup.com · kurierverlag.de · kurir.rs · lacronicadebadajoz.elperiodicoextremadura.com · laopinioncoruna.es · larazon.es · levante-emv.com · magazin.hrt.hr · merca2.es · merkur-online.de · neeo.es · news.yam.md · newsbomb.gr · newsday.com · noticiesdigitals.com · novedadesdetabasco.com.mx · oe3.orf.at · officialpress.es · offthepress.com · okdiario.com · onetz.de · op-online.de · p-magazine.com · petitchef.es · primarialimanu.ro

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history