LONDON — Fans of gardens may be considering visiting some of the many beautiful flower festivals abroad – and there are plenty to choose from.
Savvy green-fingered travelers may even be able to take in several festivals in different destinations in two-or three-centered holidays, with carefully curated stopovers, says Joe Beevis, Flight Centre’s general manager in Britain.
“It’s a nice thing to combine gardens and travel. An event such as a flower show is a great example of how a good travel agent can help customers experience that kind of incredible trip. They can visit multiple international destinations in a single trip.”
So the world is a gardener’s oyster. Here are some of the garden and flower festivals you may want to put on your holiday bucket list this year and in future years to come.
Medellín, Colombia
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In early August each year Medellín becomes a riot of color during the Colombia Flower Festival, better known as the Feria de las Flores, which first began in 1957. It is the city’s biggest celebration, highlighting the region’s rich botanical heritage, and the climax is the Silleteros (saddlers’) parade, where flower farmers design beautiful arrangements which are carried on their backs. Each saddle, which can weigh up to 70 kilos and measure five meters in diameter, is made of up to 25 different varieties of flowers.
Western Australia
Wildflower enthusiasts should head for Western Australia, which has more than 12,000 species of flora, which deliver a stunning display for a long season, blooming like a floral wave across the state from June to November.
The Everlasting Kings Park Festival in Perth celebrates the extraordinary diversity and beauty of Western Australia’s famous wildflowers each September though to early October. Among the highlights of the state is Coalseam Conservation Park, about a four-and-a-half-hour drive north of Perth, which offers a wealth of colorful species and terrific wildlife watching opportunities.
But throughout Western Australia you’ll find brilliant wildflower drifts in inner-city parks, forest and bushlands and across coastal and outback plains.
Singapore
Visitors may have missed the annual Singapore Garden Festival, which this year ran from July 4-12, but keep it in mind for future years, as it’s a major international event at Gardens by the Bay, which brings together leading landscape designers, florists and growers from around the world.
This year’s theme was “Carnival of Blooms”, with large-scale, immersive floral installations including an interactive light installation, new themed gardens such as a nature play garden and sensory garden and daily live music performances and food experiences, coming together to celebrate both nature and culture.
Set within Singapore’s uniquely green urban landscape, it demonstrates how the city blends cutting-edge city design with tropical biodiversity, from large-scale garden showcases and floral installations to everyday greening initiatives and nature-led spaces.
Brussels
Immerse yourself in the immense floral tapestry that is Brussels Flower Carpet on the UNESCO-listed Grand-Place, running Aug. 13-16.
Hundreds of thousands of brightly colored dahlias are being used to help create this year’s design, a Japanese-inspired homage to Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The theme is dedicated to fostering dialogue between Belgium and Japan, to mark the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The event, which is held every two years, involves around 120 volunteers planting almost a million flowers in less than four hours to bring the carpet to life.
This year, for the first time, a second flower carpet will be installed at the Bourse, inspired by hops – a symbol of Belgium’s brewing heritage.
Netherlands
If you are after a spring break, you can see a 42km ribbon of spectacular parade floats, built from millions of fragrant hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils in the annual Bloemencorso flower parade, which runs from Noordwijk to Haarlem in the Netherlands. The main annual Dutch Flower Parade will be held on April 17, 2027, the 80th time this colorful extravaganza of ornate floral floats in an eye-popping parade has been held, although the whole festival lasts four days, as villages and towns in the region get involved in the many activities surrounding the parade.
Floats can also be viewed in Haarlem on the Sunday after the parade. It’s easily combined with a visit to the famous tulip gardens of Keukenhof.
Spain
Translated as the Battle of Flowers, La Batalla de Flores in València on the last Sunday in July dates back to the late 19th century and features a spectacular parade of elaborately decorated floats adorned with fresh, vibrant flowers. A festive battle of flowers between the various floats and horse-drawn carriages ensues, where spectators and participants throw more than a million carnations at each other.
