Around 22,000 people and over 145 tonnes of overripe tomatoes: In Buñol in eastern Spain, the traditional tomato fight "La Tomatina" has once again taken place. As every year on the last Wednesday in August, the inhabitants of Buñol, Spaniards from other regions of the country and visitors from all over the world treated the vegetables for 60 minutes.
"This year we had a lot of guests from Eastern Europe, especially from Russia," said Mayor Juncal Carrascosa. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "La Tomatina" is the largest food battle in the world. Very soon after the beginning of the "battle" at eleven o'clock the main square and the streets of Buñols were bathed in a mushy red broth.
To avoid injury, the organizers warn: "Crush the tomatoes before you throw them." Participants may not carry bottles or hard objects. In addition, "moderate alcohol consumption" is recommended.
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"La Tomatina": A village sees red"La Tomatina" first took place in the 1940s. Over the past 15 years, the festival has become increasingly popular - especially among foreigners. The number of participants, which in some cases rose to around 50,000, was therefore limited to 22,000 for the first time in 2013. Actress Blake Lively made for the movie "All I See Is You" 2015 at the festival.