Thousands of individuals flocked to Buñol on Wednesday for the yearly La Tomatina food battle, turning the small Spanish town into a sea of red with approximately 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The chaotic tomato throwing event lasted for over an hour in the town near València, with buildings shielded by tarps in preparation for the festivities.
Before the festival, a man was seen covering a house with a tarp to shield it from tomato projectiles, a tradition dating back to a food fight in 1945. This year, over 20,000 participants are anticipated to join, as reported by the Spanish EFE news agency, with 40% of attendees in the last three years being international tourists.
Non-local visitors paid 15 euros for entry, with the main rule being to squash the tomatoes before throwing to prevent injuries. Many attendees opted to wear swimming goggles and earplugs for added protection during the tomato mayhem.
