Buñol town hall

Buñol town hall sits at the heart of this small Valencian town, right on the square that once a year turns into the world's largest tomato fight.

Where exactly is the town hall located?

The municipal building stands in the historic centre of Buñol, directly on the town's main square, Plaza del Pueblo. Local council meetings, official announcements, and most town celebrations revolve around this spot. Its coordinates — 39.418292, -0.791194 — place it in the valley of the Buñol river, framed by the hills typical of the Hoya de Buñol area.

The square itself is compact, lined with stone houses and balconies overlooking it — balconies that, as it turns out, play a starring role in the town's most famous tradition.

What makes this particular square so famous?

Plaza del Pueblo is where La Tomatina was born, the tomato-throwing festival that put Buñol on the world map. The story goes back to 1945, when a spontaneous street brawl broke out among young locals during a parade that passed through the square. The chaos repeated itself in following years and gradually turned into an informal annual habit of pelting each other with tomatoes.

In 1980 the town hall took over the organisation of the event, which allowed it to regulate the festival, guarantee participants' safety, and turn a local custom into a spectacle now drawing thousands of visitors from around the globe.

How does festival day unfold on the square?

On the last Wednesday of August, around 10am, the square in front of the town hall hosts a ritual known as "palo jabón" — a soap-greased pole with a ham fixed at the top. Volunteers try to climb it and grab the prize, and the main tomato fight cannot start until someone succeeds.

While the climbing attempts continue, residents on the surrounding balconies douse both climbers and the gathered crowd with buckets of water — a warm-up ritual before the real event. Once the ham is claimed, trucks loaded with tomatoes roll into the square and the hour-long battle begins, with tens of thousands of participants taking part.

Is the town hall worth visiting outside festival season?

Beyond the one day of chaos, Plaza del Pueblo and the town hall beside it are a quiet, genuinely local corner of old Buñol. It's worth wandering the stone streets around the square, sitting down at one of the small local cafés, and watching how the town lives the rest of the year — at a pace nothing like festival day. It also makes a good starting point for exploring the rest of Buñol's historic quarter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Buñol town hall? The building serves an administrative function, so public access is generally limited to office hours and public-facing areas. It's worth checking current opening times before visiting.

Is the square only busy during La Tomatina? No — for most of the year it's a calm meeting spot for residents. The crowds and the charged atmosphere really only appear on the last Wednesday of August.

How do you get to the town hall in Buñol? Buñol lies in the province of Valencia and is well connected by regional train from Valencia city; the railway station sits a short walk from the centre and the square.

Is it worth travelling specifically for the festival? If an unusual, high-energy cultural event appeals to you, yes — but expect huge crowds, high temperatures, and the need to register in advance to take part in the tomato fight itself.