The Buñol Tomatina 2026 is celebrated today, Wednesday, August 26, with thousands of participants arriving from different parts of Spain and abroad ready to turn the streets of the Valencian municipality into a gigantic tomato battle for one hour. The official start is scheduled for 12:00 hours and the end will come at 13:00.
The organization has set a maximum capacity of 22,000 people to access the venue. This edition will also feature 150,000 kilos of tomatoes, 30,000 more than last year, which will be transported and distributed by seven trucks during the course of the festival.
Those who are not in Buñol will also be able to follow the celebration. RTVE Play has scheduled the broadcast of La Tomatina from 11:40 hours, twenty minutes before the start of the battle, as part of the coverage of "Mañaneros 360". The festival will also have television coverage from RTVE and À Punt.
What time does the Buñol Tomatina 2026 start
The battle will officially begin at 12:00 hours this Wednesday, August 26. The firing of the first shell will mark the moment when participants can start throwing the tomatoes distributed by the trucks.
The fight has a limited duration of 60 minutes. At 13:00 hours, a second signal announces the end and, from that moment on, throwing tomatoes is no longer allowed. Then begins the operation to remove the debris accumulated during the celebration and clean the streets of the center of Buñol.
Before the battle, another of the traditions associated with the day takes place, the Palo Jabón, a greased pole that is part of the preliminary events. The activity begins in the morning, before the trucks enter the route and the main event starts.
Where to watch Tomatina 2026 on television and online
The main option to follow La Tomatina 2026 live from anywhere in Spain will be RTVE. The RTVE Play platform has scheduled a specific broadcast from 11:40 hours, which will allow following the moments before the trucks enter and the start of the battle.
The coverage will also be integrated into "Mañaneros 360", the morning show of La 1, while RTVE Play will offer the broadcast online. In this way, it can be viewed both from a television and from mobile devices and computers.
The regional television À Punt will also follow the celebration. The combination of the broadcasts will allow for following both the arrival of the participants and the moment when Buñol begins to be covered in tomatoes starting at noon.
150,000 kilos of tomatoes for 22,000 participants
The magnitude of the celebration is reflected in the figures prepared for this Wednesday. The 22,000 participants will have approximately 150,000 kilos of tomatoes at their disposal, compared to the 120,000 used in the previous edition.
To transport that amount, seven trucks will be used, which will move slowly along the route while unloading the tomatoes. The fruits used have been specifically grown for the party by the company contracted to supply them.
Participation is controlled through an access system with tickets. The limitation of capacity helps avoid much larger crowds than La Tomatina used to register before this model was implemented and facilitates the security device within streets with limited capacity.
La Tomatina debuts a space for people with specific needs
The 2026 edition incorporates as one of its main novelties the project "More Accessibility", aimed at facilitating the participation of people with specific needs through a protected space during the celebration.
The measure adds to the extensive device deployed to control a day in which the population of Buñol multiplies. Nearly a thousand personnel participate in the operation among private security, Local Police, Civil Guard, Civil Protection, and other services.
Transportation has also been reinforced to facilitate movement. Renfe has added 1,700 additional seats on Cercanías to accommodate the increase in travelers heading to Buñol for the festival.
The rules for participating in the tomato battle
The enormous concentration of people and the entry of heavy vehicles require compliance with a series of safety measures. One of the main rules is to crush the tomatoes before throwing them, thus reducing the force of the impact against other participants.
Attendees must also maintain a prudent distance from the trucks while moving along the route. Once the second signal sounds at 1:00 PM, the battle ends and throwing tomatoes cannot continue.
The organization recommends going prepared for a celebration in which the clothes end up completely covered in tomato and water. Eye protection and adherence to safety instructions become especially important when the trucks cross the crowded streets.
A tradition that began in Buñol in 1945
The origin of La Tomatina dates back to 1945, when a spontaneous incident during the festivities of Buñol ended in a fight in which several young people began throwing tomatoes at each other. What initially was an improvised episode ended up being repeated until it became a tradition.
The celebration was banned during the Franco dictatorship, but later returned and ended up acquiring an international dimension. It is currently recognized as Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional and attracts visitors from numerous countries every summer.
This Wednesday's event is the 79th edition of La Tomatina. Starting at 12:00, seven trucks and 150,000 kilos of tomatoes will once again transform the center of Buñol for one hour into one of the most recognizable images of the Spanish summer.