Thousands of individuals flocked to Buñol on Wednesday to partake in the annual La Tomatina festival, transforming the quaint Spanish town into a sea of red with approximately 165 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The chaotic tomato battle lasted for over an hour in the town near València, with structures shielded by tarps in anticipation of the revelry.
A man is seen covering a house with protective tarpaulin to shield it from airborne tomatoes before the event, which dates back to a food fight in 1945. This year, over 20,000 participants are expected, with reports from the Spanish EFE news agency indicating that 40% of attendees in the past three years were international tourists.
Non-local visitors pay a fee of 15 euros to join the festivity. The primary rule of the event is to crush tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries. Despite this, many participants opt for additional protection such as swim goggles and earplugs.
The event sees people engaging in a lively tomato fight on the streets, with some hurling tomatoes from trucks above. Images capture participants donning goggles amidst a street covered in tomatoes and a man immersed in a pool of tomatoes, surrounded by others.