La Tomatina
The world's biggest food fight — one hour, around 150,000 kilos of tomatoes, and the entire town of Buñol turned bright red.
What is La Tomatina?
One hour of red chaos
On the last Wednesday of August, the small town of Buñol near Valencia hosts the world's largest tomato fight. Tens of thousands of people pack the streets and, for exactly one hour, hurl squashed tomatoes at each other until everything — and everyone — is bright red.
How it works
Trucks tip around 150,000 over-ripe tomatoes into the crowd. The rules are simple: squash the tomatoes before you throw them, and stop the instant the second signal sounds. Afterwards, fire hoses wash the streets — and the participants — clean.
A modern tradition
La Tomatina began in 1945, apparently after a scuffle near a vegetable stall, and grew into a global phenomenon that now draws visitors from all over the world. It has no religious or historical meaning — it is pure, messy fun, and that is exactly the point.
“La Tomatina es una hora de caos rojo: ¡la batalla de tomates más grande del mundo!”
At a glance
Find it on the map
How to talk & write about it
This festival is ideal for Theme 2: Popular culture (Spanish customs & festivals). Use it in the photo-card discussion (Paper 2) and your ~90-word writing (Paper 4).
Key vocabulary — tap a card to hear it
Model sentences (build up the tenses)
- PresentLa Tomatina se celebra en Buñol, cerca de Valencia, en agosto.La Tomatina is celebrated in Buñol, near Valencia, in August.
- PresentMiles de personas se tiran tomates en la calle durante una hora.Thousands of people throw tomatoes at each other in the street for an hour.
- OpinionCreo que es muy divertido, aunque no me gustaría mancharme tanto.I think it is great fun, although I wouldn't like to get so messy.
- PastDe pequeño pensaba que era una locura, pero ahora me parece genial.As a child I thought it was crazy, but now I think it's great.
- FutureAlgún día me gustaría participar en la batalla de tomates.One day I would like to take part in the tomato fight.
Structure a strong answer — reveal the models
La Tomatina se celebra en Buñol, cerca de Valencia, en agosto.
La Tomatina is celebrated in Buñol, near Valencia, in August.
Miles de personas se tiran tomates en la calle durante una hora.
Thousands of people throw tomatoes at each other in the street for an hour.
Creo que es muy divertido, aunque no me gustaría mancharme tanto.
I think it is great fun, although I wouldn't like to get so messy.
De pequeño pensaba que era una locura, pero ahora me parece genial. Algún día me gustaría participar en la batalla de tomates.
As a child I thought it was crazy, but now I think it's great. One day I would like to take part in the tomato fight.
Examiner tips
- Photo card: open with en la foto hay… / se ve a…, then say what people do and wear, then give an opinion.
- Justify everything: use porque, ya que, creo que, me parece que.
- Show off tenses: add a past (antes… / de pequeño…) and a future/conditional (me gustaría…).
- Connectives: además, sin embargo, por eso, aunque.
Test yourself
Four quick questions — tap an answer to check it.
1. Where is La Tomatina held?
2. What do people throw at each other?
3. How long does the fight last?
4. When does it take place?