An Indian content creator has shared a candid account of attending Spain’s La Tomatina festival, saying the iconic event “isn’t as dreamy as Instagram makes it look”.
Taking to Instagram, content creator Anali Gupta shared a video after attending the famous tomato-throwing festival in Buñol. She said that the experience was nothing like the glamorous scenes shown in the 2011 Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD).
“Main just abhi Tomato Festival se wapas aa rahi hoon. To tumhein kya laga? Maine bahut maze kiye honge? Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara jaisa koi moment? Bilkul bhi nahi. Bilkul bhi nahi,” she said in the video.
Gupta claimed that the tomatoes used during the festival are often overripe or rotten, resulting in an unpleasant, overwhelming smell. “Main literally vomiting karne hi wali thi. Mere aas-paas ki jo bhi ladkiyan thi na, sab vomiting kar rahi thi,” she said.
She also described the crowd as overwhelming and warned that anyone trying to record videos could end up being specifically targeted. She added that many Indians had travelled to the festival expecting a cinematic experience but were too intimidated by the chaos to participate fully. She further said that the only enjoyable part came after the tomato fight had ended, when the crushed tomatoes had turned into a ketchup-like puree on the streets.
{{/usCountry}}She also described the crowd as overwhelming and warned that anyone trying to record videos could end up being specifically targeted. She added that many Indians had travelled to the festival expecting a cinematic experience but were too intimidated by the chaos to participate fully. She further said that the only enjoyable part came after the tomato fight had ended, when the crushed tomatoes had turned into a ketchup-like puree on the streets.
{{/usCountry}}In the caption of the post, Gupta described La Tomatina as “one of the toughest experiences" she has ever had. She said the tomatoes are often rotten, the smell can make people nauseous, and participants throw them with enough force to cause pain. She also noted that, as a woman, she found the pushing and crowding particularly intimidating.
“So if you’re planning to attend La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain, don’t expect a perfect ZNMD movie moment. That version exists on screen. Reality is messy, exhausting, and physically demanding,” she wrote.
Gupta clarified that she was not discouraging people from attending the festival. “I’m not saying don’t go. I’m saying go with the right expectations, prepare yourself mentally, and decide if this is truly the kind of experience you want before spending so much money to get there,” she said.
How did social media react?
The post received mixed reactions online.
Reacting to the post, one Instagram user wrote, “Thnks for sharing the genuine info.”
“Thanks for the awareness,” commented another.
“You have to prepare by buying Iphone cover, big googles etc. and it’s a fun for few hour. Don’t expect a bollywood movie scene,” wrote a third user.
However, not everyone agreed with Gupta’s experience.
One user wrote, “This is a very different POV of the festival. I was there in 2025 too but my experience was very close to what they showed in the movie.”
“I had an amazing experience at tomatina. I was surprised it was as the movie (without the songs, of course). We were really happy. We were not close to the trucks though,” shared another.