At least 22,000 people will gather on Wednesday, August 29 for the Tomatina Festival 2018. 

The festival has been running since 1945 and is held in the Valencian town of Bunol. The fiesta is even known in Spain as being of International Tourist Interest. 

Last year, more than 160 tons of over-ripe tomatoes were through during the festival. 

What is La Tomatina? 

During the morning of the festival, lorries trundle into the village centre to distribute tomatoes to the fruit-flingers. 

The fighting stops exactly one hour later. 

Afterwards, fire engines hose down the streets and people use hoses to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. 

People are advised to wear white clothes and not carry expensive phones, camera or cash, in case they are destroyed or stolen. 

Why do the Spanish throw tomatoes at each other in the street?

In 1945, some local youths who were fighting in the street grabbed some tomatoes from a nearby grocer’s stall and started throwing them at each other.

Since then, the Spanish have thrown tomatoes every year until the road in the Spanish town is filled with juice and pulp. 

Now there are rules after the town hall in the village took over the organisation in 1980. 

Tomatoes are squashed before they are thrown in order to avoid people getting injured. 

People living in Bunol usually take huge plastic sheets and giant bits of board outside to cover their balconies and shop fronts.

This is to ensure windows are not smashed during the huge food fight. 

There is seemingly no escape from the festival once you get involved, as it takes part in a narrow street in the town.

More about: Spain   La-Tomatina