La Tomatina

prohibited it from being repeated in order to prevent it from taking root as a tradition.

La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950s, a decision that did not dissuade its participants, even though some were arrested.

The people protested and the festival was authorised again, adding more participants every year and becoming more and more frantic.

Finally, La Tomatina was authorised and institutionalised as a local festival.

Over the years this celebration began to become popu­ lar in the rest of Spain.

Since then, year after year the excitement for it and the number of participants has grown.

The overwhelming success led to La Tomatina of Buñol being declared a Festival of Interest to International Tourists by the General Secretariat of Tourism in 2002. These days, the food fight takes place on the last Wednesday in August and has now become an official event.

La Tomatina is now so popular that you even have to buy a ticket to participate!