Messy Tomatina food fight festival set to return after COVID ban

Record ID: 1686735

  • Title: Messy Tomatina food fight festival set to return after COVID ban
  • Date: 30th August 2022
  • Summary: LA LLOSA, SPAIN (AUGUST 30, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FORKLIFT UNLOADING TOMATOES INTO TRUCK VARIOUS OF SLOW-MOTION OF TOMATOES FALLING INTO TRUCK 3- OVER-RIPE TOMATOES INSIDE TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOMATINA FESTIVAL WORKERM JAVIER MECHON, 40, SAYING: “It's crazy today because we have to work fast to get the trucks out as soon as possible but the truth is that I'm proud to work on a festival as big as La Tomatina.” TOMATINA WORKER JAVIER MECHON DRIVING FORKLIFT TO UNLOAD TOMATOES INTO TRUCK VARIOUS OF TOMATOES FALLING INTO TRUCK FORKLIFTS PASSING BY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOMATINA WORKER IVAN FONFRIA SAYING: “We grow normal tomatoes, once they are ready, they are kept in a cold room, we reduce the temperature until they are taken out the day before to ripen them. Today we load them into 6 trucks from Bunol, they distribute the tomatoes so that they are ripened tomorrow. After the pandemic, it will be a party and people will be looking forward to it.” FORKLIFTS LOADING TOMATOES TRUCK LOADED WITH TOMATOES DRIVING BUNOL, SPAIN (AUGUST 30, 2022) (REUTERS) STREET WHERE TOMATINA FOOD FIGHT FESTIVAL HAPPENS PROTECTED WITH PLASTIC AND FABRIC VARIOUS OF LOCAL GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO COVER FACADE LOCALS AT BALCONY COVERING FACADE VARIOUS OF LOCALS COVERING FACADES PEOPLE AT STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BUÑOL RESIDENT EDUARDO CARRASCOSA, PSYCHOLOGIST, 26, SAYING: “People have to come and experience it, it is an experience that cannot be explained in words. From the moment the firecracker is set off until the trucks come out with tons and tons of tomatoes, you see the tomatoes raining down on you from all sides, the whole town gets involved in the party, everyone takes their tables out onto the street, and they even give you food, they throw water from everywhere to get rid of the tomato splatter, then the party goes on. In the end, it is just one day in a week of celebrations, but it is the biggest day and for the people here it is great to enjoy the party another year.” (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOURIST FROM MALAGA, CARMEN TIRADO, NURSE, 24, SAYING: “I hear about this festival all year round so I think I'm going to have a great time, I really want to experience this, I see it a lot on TV but I think it's going to be great to live it in person.” PEOPLE ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 13th September 2022 15:18
  • Keywords: Bunol Spain Tomatina Tomato fight fiesta food-fight festival tomatoes
  • Location: BUNOL & LA LLOSA, SPAIN
  • City: BUNOL & LA LLOSA, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001149530082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Around 130 tonnes of tomatoes were loaded in the eastern Spanish town of La Llosa and transported to Bunol on Tuesday (August 30) where the Tomatina food-fight festival returns after a two-years break due to the pandemic ban.
    Six trucks loaded with over-ripe tomatoes will be set up so revellers can hurl them at each other on Wednesday (August 31) in the traditional event which promises to be as messy as ever.
    Locals were looking forward to splattering, splashing and squeezing the tomatoes grown in the Mediterranean area after the coronavirus hiatus.
    “People have to come and experience it, it is an experience that cannot be explained in words,” Bunol local Eduardo Carrascosa told Reuters.
    After a firecracker is set off at 12 a.m (1000GMT) on Wednesday, partygoers will hurl tomatoes from the trucks driving through a narrow street of Bunol for one hour.
    The ground usually turns into a messy and often smelly, red pool of crushed tomatoes with locals and tourists fighting splattering the fruit on each other.
    This 75th edition will gather around 15,000 people, organisers said.
    The Tomatina is said to have originated from a spontaneous bust-up amongst villagers in 1945.
    It was banned for a while during the 1950s at the height of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, but today draws large crowds of locals as well as foreign tourists.
    It is considered one of the biggest food-fight festivals in the world.
    (Production: Guillermo Martinez, Elena Rodriguez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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