Tomatina is back! Tomato fest leaves Spanish town red

Yes, it’s that time of year again when people start hurling mushy tomatoes at each other in the street of Spain for absolutely no reason.

Here are the best images from the world’s best food throwing festival. 

In its 70th year, the Tomatina festival is held in the Bunol village in Valencia, Spain. As many as 20,000 people hurled tomatoes at each other at the festival, which is believed to have started in 1945. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

During the festival, 175 tonnes of ripe tomatoes were offloaded from seven trucks into the crowd packing the streets for an hour-long battle. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

The tomato fight leaves the participants and the town’s streets awash with red pulp. The town is hosed down minutes after the event ends at noon, while participants can use public showers. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

The origins of the festival remain unknown. Some people say it began as a food fight between a group of friends, others say people threw tomatoes at a carnival parade, and some believe it happened when tomatoes spilled from a truck. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

The rules of the game are simple: Squash your tomatoes before throwing them; only tomatoes can be hurled; give way to lorries; don’t rip t-shirts and stop when you’re told to. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

The food fight only lasts about an hour, but people travel from all over the world to take part. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

According to figures from local authorities, 20 per cent of participants came from Spain, 15 per cent from Britain, 10 per cent from Japan, 9 per cent from India, and 5 per cent from Australia, along with some from the United States. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

To celebrate the 70th year, Google launched a special Google Doodle. The Doodle depicts the festival goers taking part in the yearly food fight. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

For several years after it began the festival was discouraged by the authorities, but in 1957 it was organised by a local group known as ‘Los Clavarios de San Luis Bertrán’, and was later taken over by the city authorities. Photograph: Heino Kalis/Reuters

Revellers enjoy the atmosphere in tomato pulp while participating the annual Tomatina festival. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

The festival earned fame in India after it was featured in Zoya’s Zindagi na Milegi Dobara movie during which Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif fall in love. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

During the one hour of the festival, houses and shops draped covers over their facades to protect them from the red juice and pulp. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images