150,000 kilos of tomatoes fly as Buñol's Tomatina turns 80

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Buñol celebrated 80 years of its Tomatina on Wednesday 26 August, when 22,000 participants pelted each other with 150,000 kilos of tomatoes for exactly one hour.
• United Airlines will restore a direct flight between Valencia and New York from June 2027, fifteen years after the last Delta route ended.
• The Valencian government has raised the price of protected housing (VPO) by 16.7% since 2024 and lifted the income ceiling to qualify for it, according to elDiario.es.
• The Soneja fire in Castellón province is still active after burning 150 hectares and forcing 500 residents to leave their homes, Libertad Digital reports.
• Two free food and heritage events open this weekend near Valencia, with the Alaquàs medieval market and the Fiesta del Queso both running from 28 August.

Today's essentials

150,000 kilos of tomatoes fly as Buñol's Tomatina turns 80. Buñol's Tomatina reached its 80th anniversary on Wednesday 26 August 2026, when 22,000 sold-out participants threw 150,000 kilos of tomatoes across the town for exactly one hour, from noon to 1pm.

According to esdiario, this year's battle used 150,000 kilos of tomatoes, 30,000 more than in 2025, delivered on seven trucks and tipped out after a rocket fired at midday on the Plaza del Pueblo, the central square in Buñol where the tradition began during the 1945 patron-saint fiestas. Moncloa.com reports the 22,000 tickets sold out for the third year in a row. There is a small discrepancy worth flagging: Valencia Extra, writing on 23 August before the event, expected around 120,000 kilos, a figure the post-event reports revised up to 150,000. The organisers marked it as the 80th anniversary of the fiesta, while esdiario describes 2026 as the 79th official edition, a gap explained by past interruptions but not detailed by any source.

Buñol sits about 38 km west of Valencia city, in the Foia de Bunyol district, an easy trip by car along the A-3 or by Cercanías regional train. That proximity is what turns a town of just 9,858 residents, per the census cited by Valencia Extra, into a global venue for one morning: the 22,000 participants amount to roughly 223% of the local population, so the streets are packed well before the rocket goes off.

Susana Camarero, first vice-president of the Generalitat Valenciana, attended alongside Vicente Mompó, president of the Diputació de València, which invested 55,000 euros in the 2026 edition according to Valencia Extra; Camarero said the fiesta proves a small municipio can build an international brand. This year also brought a first accessibility plan, called '+ ACCESIBLE', developed with Valencian activist Regina Martínez, offering personalised assistance, a reserved zone and identification wristbands, while a 'Punto Violeta' stayed on site to prevent and handle sexual violence. Moncloa.com notes the audience over the last three editions has been 60% domestic visitors and 51% women, and RTVE broadcast the event live for the first time.

What this changes for you: if you fancy going, plan well ahead, because entry is ticketed and has sold out three years running, so there is no turning up on the day. For a calmer taste of the story, Moncloa.com says a documentary on the fiesta's eight decades is due in 2027, and the same weekend format (a free children's Tomatina on the Saturday) makes Buñol an easy day trip from Valencia even outside the main battle.

Weather today

Weather today: warm and grey over Valencia. Expect a warm, overcast Wednesday 26 August across Valencia, with the city between 25 and 30 degrees and almost no rain, according to Open-Meteo.

In Valencia city, Open-Meteo forecasts a low of 25 and a high of 30 degrees under cloudy skies, a 5% chance of rain and a light breeze up to 16 km/h, so it stays muggy rather than scorching. Inland around Utiel the range is wider, from 21 up to 33 degrees with gusts to 22 km/h, while the southern coast at Gandia runs between 23 and 32 degrees with a slightly higher 10% chance of a passing shower. Light clothing and a water bottle are enough today: the cloud cover keeps the sun manageable, but the humidity near the coast will feel sticky by midday.

Transport & traffic

• Valencia regains a direct New York flight in June 2027. United Airlines will connect Valencia directly with New York from June 2027, according to elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana, restoring a route last operated by Delta between 2009 and 2012. The return of a transatlantic link matters for anyone who currently connects through Madrid, Barcelona or a European hub to reach the United States: a direct service cuts a whole leg out of the journey and makes Valencia far more reachable for family and business travel across the Atlantic. Regional president Pérez Llorca called the announcement excellent news, per elDiario.es, though the flight only starts in June 2027, so it is one to keep in mind rather than book right now.
• Alicante and Elche to be linked by a new strategic corridor. Alicante and Elche will be joined by a new strategic axis connecting the airport, the universities and the business districts, Noticias CV reports, as Alicante's council takes the first step toward its new Plan General Estructural. For residents in the south of the region, the plan signals a longer-term reshaping of how the airport, campuses and industrial areas link up, which over time could ease commuting between the two cities. This is still at the drafting stage of the structural master plan rather than a finished project, so there is nothing to use day to day yet, but it is worth following for anyone weighing where to live or work around Alicante and Elche.

What's changing for you

• Protected housing gets pricier and easier to lose. Since 2024 the Valencian government has raised the price of protected housing (VPO) by 16.7%, lifted the income limit to buy it and approved removing its protected status after 30 years, according to elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana. If you were counting on VPO as an affordable route into ownership, the rules have shifted: the higher income ceiling widens who can apply, but the 16.7% price rise since 2024 eats into the saving, and the plan to strip protection after 30 years means these homes can eventually be sold at market rates. Before committing, check the current price cap and income thresholds for your area, and factor in that the 'protected' label is no longer permanent.
• Diputació seeks relatives of 11 Franco-era victims. The Diputació de València is asking the public for help identifying the families of 11 victims of the Franco dictatorship whose remains lie in cemeteries in Bétera and in Sant Pere de Ribes, near Barcelona, according to Valencia Extra. If you have family roots in the Valencia area and suspect a relative disappeared during that period, this is a direct opening to make contact: the Diputació is trying to trace descendants so the remains can finally be returned and identified. Anyone with information is invited to come forward through the provincial authority, which is coordinating the search across the Bétera and Sant Pere de Ribes sites.

Local news to know

• Soneja fire still burning in Castellón. According to Libertad Digital Comunidad Valenciana, the wildfire at Soneja, in Castellón province, remains active after scorching 150 hectares and forcing 500 residents to evacuate, with more than 220 ground crew and drones deployed.
• Weekend plans rounded up for the city. Valencia Secreta has published its selection of the best things to do in the city this weekend, a mix of outings and events for the days ahead.
• Diana Morant confirmed as PSOE's candidate. The PSOE has formally named Science Minister Diana Morant as its sole candidate to try to win back the regional government of Valencia in 2027, Libertad Digital Comunidad Valenciana reports, following the left's 2023 defeat to the PP.
• 13,500 seniors join la Caixa health workshops. More than 13,500 older people are taking part in health and wellbeing workshops across the Comunitat Valenciana this year, with over 870 activities run in 35 partner centres by the Fundación 'la Caixa', according to La Voz de Alzira.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Alaquàs medieval market by the castle. Alaquàs hosts its traditional medieval market on Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026, with three days of crafts, food and shows beside the castle, according to Valencia Bonita. It runs across the whole weekend right next to the town's castle, an easy short trip from Valencia for anyone after a relaxed, family-friendly outing.
• Fiesta del Queso returns, free entry. The Fiesta del Queso is back in Valencia from 28 to 31 August with free entry, tastings and more than 200 cheese varieties, Valencia Secreta reports. Free admission and hundreds of cheeses make it an easy plan for the coming days if you want something low-cost and gourmet.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow