Buñol readies 150 tonnes of tomatoes for 22,000 participants at 79th Tomatina

Festival preparations and tomato supply

The town of Buñol in the province of Valencia is staging the 79th edition of La Tomatina on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. Exactly 22,000 registered participants will gather in the town centre to throw 150,000 kilograms (150 metric tons) of ripe pear tomatoes across the streets. This total represents an increase of 30,000 kilograms compared to the previous year. The fruit selected for the event was grown by agricultural cooperatives in Don Benito, located in the province of Badajoz. Organizers sourced tomatoes that do not meet commercial criteria for direct human consumption due to aesthetic irregularities or taste factors. The produce was stored and guarded overnight in piles located in the lower district of Buñol before being loaded onto seven distribution trucks that will drive through the narrow central thoroughfares.

Rules, schedule and street operations

The festival gets underway in the morning with the traditional "palo jabón", an opening contest where participants attempt to climb a tall greased wooden pole to capture a cured Spanish ham fixed at the top. The official tomato fight begins promptly at 12:00, signalled by the launch of a celebratory firecracker known locally as a "carcasa" or "chupinazo". For exactly one hour, local residents on the trucks toss the produce into the crowds, and participants throw crushed tomatoes at one another until the fruit turns entirely into red juice. Safety regulations require attendees to squash every tomato by hand before throwing it to avoid causing physical injury to others. At 13:00, the firing of a second firecracker will mark the immediate end of the battle. Municipal cleaning brigades, supported by local residents and attendees, will then wash down the streets with water hoses to clear the pulp.

International media coverage and attendee origin

The annual street gathering in Valencia attracts extensive global attention and travellers from multiple continents. More than 400 accredited journalists and media professionals representing 45 news organizations are reporting on site from Buñol. While the event originated as a local celebration, it has developed an international participant base, featuring heavy attendance from visitors originating in Australia and India, alongside crowds from Europe, North America, and East Asia. First Deputy Mayor and councillor for the local festival Sergio Galarza described the international mix present in the municipality ahead of the midday launch.

Australians, Americans, Japanese, Chinese and, right now, a lot more are coming from India.

The wider profile of the event dates back to 1983, when Spanish television journalist Javier Basilio covered the gathering for the RTVE programme Informe Semanal in a special report titled "Buñol, a tomatazo limpio", introducing the local tradition to audiences across Spain as a "battle of peace".

Accessibility measures and regional transit expansion

The 2026 edition incorporates specific infrastructure to improve accessibility and make the event welcoming for attendees with disabilities. Organizers deployed a reinforced contingent of support volunteers to accompany participants with special needs throughout the enclosed venue. The local council also installed descriptive pictograms along the perimeter and issued distinct "+ ACCESSIBLE" identification wristbands to facilitate movement. To accommodate the travel demands of tens of thousands of visitors heading into the town, national railway operator Renfe added 1,700 passenger seats across its Cercanías commuter train network. This transit expansion relies on seven reinforced train services, including three departures originating from Valencia and four return services operating from Buñol.