Pinoy participant shares La Tomatina Festival experience in Spain

A Filipino national was among the 20,000 participants who joined the La Tomatina Festival 2025 in Buñol, Valencia, Spain.

According to Kuya Kim’s report on “24 Oras” Friday, the festival is renowned for its unique premise where participants engage in a massive, good-natured battle, pelting each other with thousands of tomatoes.

“Very chaotic talaga. Siyempre it was so much fun,” Joe Madrid said. “It was a very unique experience.”

For Joe, attending the festival required meticulous planning and took three years to complete.

“We have to really plan it, and we have to really allocate a week for it so that ma-enjoy mo ‘yung festival. So we booked it in advance,” he said.

Despite the sheer number of attendees, Joe shared that he felt no apprehension during the event. 

“Well-organized. A lot of police around, ambulances,” he said.

The La Tomatina festival boasts an eight-decade-long tradition in Buñol.

Though its exact origins remain somewhat shrouded in mystery, it is believed that it began in the 1940s when a group of youths disrupted a parade, leading to an impromptu throwing of vegetables, particularly tomatoes.

This incident reportedly reoccurred annually, eventually evolving into the official festival it is today.

For those concerned about the seemingly wasteful use of tons of tomatoes, organizers have clarified that the tomatoes utilized in the festival are not fit for human consumption.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News