The Spanish Mediterranean town of Bunol turned red when around 22,000 people gathered to throw 150 tonne of ripe tomatoes at each other during the Tomatina festival -- the world’s biggest annual tomato fight.
Here are 12 incredible photos from the festivities.
The Tomatina festival takes place every year on the last Wednesday of August in the Spanish town of Bunol. This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the messy fiesta.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The tomato fest began back in 1945 when a participant in Spain's Giants and Big-Heads parade went into a fit of rage and began pelting people with vegetables from a nearby stand.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The food fight, which was banned till 1957, saw around 22,000 people hurl tomatoes at each other this year.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Around 165 tonne of the fruit were thrown, squished and splatted in an hour of fun in the annual event.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The tomatoes for the fest cost €36,000 (Rs 27 lakh). They were brought to the town in six large lorries -- then into the main square, the Plaza Layana, in a smaller truck.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The only rule to follow during the food fight is that the tomatoes must be squashed before throwing to make the blows less painful.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
La Tomatina attracts tourists from around the world, especially Britain, Japan, and the United States.
Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
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. Photograph: Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
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.
Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters
Increased security saw 700 police, firefighters, paramedics and volunteers working to ensure safety, with police cordons and bollards in place to prevent an attack.
Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters
The food fight became popular in India after it was shown in Zoya Akhtar's movie Zindagi Na Milega Dobara.
Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters
There's so much tomato pulp, you can become almost completely submerged in it.
Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters
Video: ANI
