The fiesta, held since 1945, was declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest by tourism chiefs in Madrid in 2012.
It began at 11am local time, with the start and finish being signalled by the firing of water cannons. Journalists from as far away as India and Korea were covering the event for 90 news organisations. In 2013 the authorities began selling tickets to the event to prevent too many revellers descending on the town. Residents and businesses board up their properties or cover them with huge plastic sheets to prevent damage. In recent years there have been criticisms of the event, saying it is a waste of food and drives up prices. But organisers insist the tomatoes hurled at the event do not meet standards for selling as food and so would otherwise be thrown away. A smaller event for children, the Tomatina Infantil, was held on Saturday. Some 22,000 people hurled tomatoes at each other in the world’s messiest food fight in Spain’s Tomatina festival. Around 165 tons of the fruit were thrown, squished and splatted in an hour of fun in the annual event in the small town of Bunol, 25 miles west of Valencia. Security was stepped up this year amid fears of the potential risk of a terrorist attack, following the horrifying events in Barcelona earlier this month. The tomatoes, which cost 36,000 euros (£33,300), were brought to the town in six large lorries then into the main square, the Plaza Layana, in a smaller truck. Revellers come from around the world to take part many sporting swimming goggles to protect their eyes. Increased security saw 700 police, firefighters, paramedics and volunteers working to ensure safety, with police cordons and bollards in place to prevent an attack. The mayor said that following the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils which killed 16 people earlier this month, the security at the festival was 'very good and capable of resolving any problem.' The mayor also said an army of 80 cleaners would have the town looking as good as new within two hours of the festivities ending. He said: 'In about two hours there is no trace of tomato on the streets. It seems incredible that there has been this festival because the town is completely clean.' Juan Carlos Moragues, the Madrid government's delegate in Valencia, said: 'Our aim is that people are only talking about the war of the tomatoes and that the festival is talked about around the world because of its originality.
It began at 11am local time, with the start and finish being signalled by the firing of water cannons. Journalists from as far away as India and Korea were covering the event for 90 news organisations. In 2013 the authorities began selling tickets to the event to prevent too many revellers descending on the town. Residents and businesses board up their properties or cover them with huge plastic sheets to prevent damage. In recent years there have been criticisms of the event, saying it is a waste of food and drives up prices. But organisers insist the tomatoes hurled at the event do not meet standards for selling as food and so would otherwise be thrown away. A smaller event for children, the Tomatina Infantil, was held on Saturday. Some 22,000 people hurled tomatoes at each other in the world’s messiest food fight in Spain’s Tomatina festival. Around 165 tons of the fruit were thrown, squished and splatted in an hour of fun in the annual event in the small town of Bunol, 25 miles west of Valencia. Security was stepped up this year amid fears of the potential risk of a terrorist attack, following the horrifying events in Barcelona earlier this month. The tomatoes, which cost 36,000 euros (£33,300), were brought to the town in six large lorries then into the main square, the Plaza Layana, in a smaller truck. Revellers come from around the world to take part many sporting swimming goggles to protect their eyes. Increased security saw 700 police, firefighters, paramedics and volunteers working to ensure safety, with police cordons and bollards in place to prevent an attack. The mayor said that following the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils which killed 16 people earlier this month, the security at the festival was 'very good and capable of resolving any problem.' The mayor also said an army of 80 cleaners would have the town looking as good as new within two hours of the festivities ending. He said: 'In about two hours there is no trace of tomato on the streets. It seems incredible that there has been this festival because the town is completely clean.' Juan Carlos Moragues, the Madrid government's delegate in Valencia, said: 'Our aim is that people are only talking about the war of the tomatoes and that the festival is talked about around the world because of its originality.