If messy food fights don’t bother you, then we suggest you attend one of the biggest Spanish festivals, the La Tomatina, at least at some point in your lives. Those who have watched the film Zindagi Na
Milegi Dobara must be familiar with this unique celebration. For those who haven’t, let us help. The La Tomatina, dubbed as the World’s Biggest Food Fight, is held annually on the last Wednesday of August in the town of Bunol, situated near the Valencia province. This year marked the event’s 80th anniversary and was celebrated on August 27.
The La Tomatina festival draws thousands of people from every part of the world, who paint the town red (literally). Picture this: Crowds hurling more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes at each other. The streets are smeared with pulpy red juice, looking less like a town square and more like a giant bowl of tomato soup. It’s fun, fruity and feisty all in one.
What Happens At La Tomatina
The La Tomatina festival begins at 12 noon, where loads of trucks bring a bounty of tomatoes to the town centre in Plaza del Pueblo. Technically, the festival is supposed to begin when a person climbs a two-storey-high, greased-up wooden pole to grab a piece of ham pinned on the top. The task, however, is more often than not impossible to complete, and hence the event starts despite no one reaching the prize. When water cannons are fired, it means that the food fight has officially begun.
After an hour, the fight ends, and fire trucks spray water down the streets while the participants usually wash themselves up at the Bunol River.
Where It All Started
As per the official La Tomatina website, the food event started around 1945 after a “juvenile class war” erupted between local teenagers. Another popular theory is that during a local celebration, disgruntled townspeople attacked city councilmen with tomatoes. Soon after, it turned into a tradition and was repeated every year.
La Tomatina Rules
Participants shouldn’t carry any hard objects, as they can cause accidents or hurt others.
Ripping other people’s shirts is not allowed.
Tomatoes must be squashed before throwing them at someone to reduce impact.
Keep a safe distance from lorries.
After the second shot, no one should throw tomatoes.
Films Featuring La Tomatina
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
In one of the most memorable sequences in the Zoya Akhtar directorial, Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imraan (Farhan Akhtar), Kabir (Abhay Deol), Laila (Katrina Kaif) and Nuria (Ariadna Cabrol) took part in the festival, sharing laughs and goofing around, capturing the chaotic madness of the actual event.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
In this film, the La Tomatina festival is depicted symbolically through people drenched in red, echoing blood imagery and capturing the movie’s dark, unsettling tone. The scene becomes a haunting metaphor of violence.
Heads of State (2025)
Heads of State, headlined by Priyanka Chopra, Idris Elba and John Cena, offered a peek into the festival in a scene where tomatoes were seen flying in every direction. It had a comic flair combined with slapstick energy, fuelled by laughter and absurdity.
Spanish Masala (2012)
The vibrant La Tomatino festival setting set the mood for the film’s playful and colourful theme, where the lead characters were seen engaged in hilarious tomato-flinging antics. The sequence blended comedy, culture and chemistry all in one.
