Returning following a successful 2023 event, The Manchester Flower Festival is set to bloom once again, brightening up the lovely streets of our city. Organised annually by Manchester City Centre BID, will be a fabulous floral spectacle, featuring a ‘Manchester in Flowers’ floral trail plus lots of al fresco dining, live music and family entertainment.
Now in its seventh year, Manchester’s floral takeover attracts tens of thousands of additional visitors to the city centre and launches the summer event season in the city. Taking place across the late May Bank Holiday weekend, Manchester Flower Festival transforms the city centre with themed decorations and green installations, alongside live music, entertainment, alfresco food and drink, talks, demonstrations and workshops.
Since 2018, the event has taken place as part of the annual King Street Festival, however, has expanded over the years to bring a little bit of colour to the rest of the city centre. The region’s best floristry and gardening talent will team up for the occasion, turning shop windows, lampposts, vintage cars and even pop-up gardens into floral pieces of art.
When is Manchester Flower Festival?
Manchester Flower Festival will take place during the late May Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 24th – Monday 27th May 2024).
Where will Manchester Flower Festival take place?
Spanning across the entire city, visitors will be able to experience a stunning trail of flowers and greenery around every corner – with areas such as Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, King Street and Manchester Arndale getting in the botanical spirit. Yep, when we say the entire city, we mean it.
Venture outside the festival zone where, once again, the city’s venues, public spaces and businesses are supporting the festival with their own newly commissioned gardens and displays, making up the Manchester Flower Festival Fringe. Last year saw a floating garden at The Bridgewater Hall, a nature trail at Great Northern Warehouse and new displays at Sadler’s Yard NOMA, First Street, Science and Industry Museum, Lincoln Square, One Piccadilly, Exhibition, Afflecks, Printworks and more.
Festival organisers are on the hunt for garden designers, florists, landscapers, businesses, charities, community groups and schools across the region to help transform the city into a floral spectacle. The Manchester Flower Festival offers the chance for contributing gardeners and florists to showcase their talent, while helping to create a unique, floriated experience across the city.
This year’s festival will celebrate ICONS, inspired by last year’s showstopping installations inspired by Hilda Ogden, Tony Wilson and Emmeline Pankhurst. The theme is open to interpretation and participants are encouraged to create ‘iconic’ displays and pop-up gardens, showcasing anything from Manchester-born icons, music icons, iconic buildings, or someone they hold personally as an icon in their life.
Opportunities at this year’s festival include:
Show Gardens – Large scale gardens and displays to headline this year’s festival created by local gardeners, landscapers, garden groups and brands in locations across the city’s main shopping district. Opportunities are also available for brands or companies looking to sponsor a garden. Individual or amateur gardeners can enter the new Ginnel Garden category that challenges entrants to create a mini garden in a 6ft x 6ft x 4ft backyard style small space.
Floristry Displays – Florists can showcase their skills with beautiful displays in The Manchester Flower Festival Floral Marquee.
Festival Market – Featuring everything from plants, produce, garden décor, street food and art, local traders can sign up to sell their wares at the Festival’s Market.
Sponsorship – New for 2024, festival organisers have set up a community garden fund, where companies are encouraged to make a donation, enabling underfunded community garden groups to take part in this year’s festival. All donations will fund the garden displays with staff time, equipment, and plants, allowing them to showcase their talents in Manchester City Centre’s biggest floral event. Past community groups to attend the event have included Blossom MCR, Ardwick Climate Action, Manchester Urban Diggers and Groundwork. There is also the opportunity to headline sponsor the event or showcase your brand in one of the event’s commercial spaces.
Local businesses in the city centre are also being encouraged to show their support for the festival by creating window, building or in-store displays, and host dedicated events and food and drinks specials, including food pop-ups, outdoor bars, or participation in the festival’s cocktail trail. Festival organisers are also seeking volunteers to help at this year’s event where they can gain valuable experience and enjoy being part of the team at one of the city’s annual flagship events.
For more information and expressions of interest in The Manchester Flower Festival or to find out how you can volunteer, contact events@cityco.com.