Thousands of individuals flocked to Buñol on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina festival, transforming the quaint Spanish town into a sea of red with around 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The chaotic tomato battle lasted over an hour in Buñol near València, with buildings draped in protective coverings in anticipation of the event.
A man was pictured securing a house with a tarp to shield it from airborne tomatoes before the celebration, which has its roots in a food fight dating back to 1945.
This year, over 20,000 participants are expected to join the festivities, with 40% of attendees over the past three years being international tourists, as per the Spanish EFE news agency. Non-local visitors pay a fee of 15 euros to take part, with the main safety rule being to crush the tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries. Despite this, many attendees opt to wear swimming goggles and earplugs for added protection during the tomato melee.
Photographs captured scenes of individuals engaged in the spirited tomato fight on the streets, with some participants seen perched on trucks hurling tomatoes at others below. The event drew a diverse crowd, including individuals clad in goggles sitting amidst a tomato-covered street and a man submerged in a pool of tomatoes surrounded by fellow participants.