6 Blooming Lovely Flower Shows To Visit In 2026

Know your chrysanthemums from your carnations? The UK’s flower-show circuit will pique your interest. This fever dream of scent and colour returns every spring, stretching into summer in tandem with the social season. From the Royal Hospital Chelsea to deer-dotted parklands in Cheshire, 2026 is shaping up to be a stellar year of petal power. Below, find our guide to the best UK flower shows to visit in 2026.

King Charles visits Chelsea Flower Show 2025. (RHS)

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The undisputed aristocrat of the floral calendar, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the most prestigious event on this list – and probably the most famous of all flower shows around the world. It has taken over the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea every year since 1913, pausing only during WWI, WWII and the coronavirus pandemic. It’s incredibly popular among high society (including the royal family) but upstarting, go-getting gardeners thrive here, too. There are plenty of prestigious prizes to be won to boot. And the celebrations aren’t limited to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea: flower fever takes over the whole of London with special menus and terraces created in honour of the occasion. Meanwhile floral creations spill out into the surrounding streets thanks to the annual Chelsea in Bloom. RHS judges collaborate with a lifestyle judge to present awards to shops, restaurants and hotels around the borough crafting special displays for the occasion; trust us when we say they go all out.

Details: 19–23 May at Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3 4NE. rhs.org.uk

The Great Garden Show

Brand new on the 2026 agenda is The Great Garden Show at The Newt in Somerset. After four years as the lead sponsor of Chelsea Flower Show, this biodynamic country hotel is returning to Somerset with plenty of intel, with 2026 marking the first in what The Newt hopes will become an annual flower show. Running for nine days, we are told to expect panel discussions featuring leading voices in horticulture, regenerative agriculture and climate-resilient growing as well as interactive sessions, a plant fair, a ‘Bio Blitz’, and dedicated programming for young horticulturists, all combining to tell the story of gardening in the UK.

Details: 9–17 May 2026 at The Newt, Bruton BA7 7NG. thenewtinsomerset.com

Blenheim Palace Flower Show

There are flower shows, and then there is Blenheim Palace, where horticulture is staged against a backdrop of baroque excess and Capability Brown grandeur. It is less of a womble through a pretty garden and more a wander through a living painting that also sells rare perennials. Expect 2026 to lean into its signature blend of garden inspiration, artisan stalls, and the bittersweet realisation that your own lawn will never look this composed.

Details: 19–21 June 2026 at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP. blenheimflowershow.co.uk

Harrogate Flower Show

Northern flower fans are in luck: up in Yorkshire, the Harrogate Flower Show is a prestigious floral affair held twice a year. Organised by the North of England Horticultural Society, plant nurseries and floral features are displayed for both the Spring and Autumn editions, with talks, demonstrations and shopping opportunities to enjoy, too. The Spring edition kicks off the national gardening calendar, and is the largest exhibition by florists and flower arrangers in the country. Meanwhile, the Autumn edition is all about celebrating the year’s growing achievements, taking place around harvest time – so expect bountiful produce from the allotment alongside garden inspiration and beautiful floral displays.

Details: The Harrogate Spring Flower Show takes place from 23–26 April 2026 at the Great Yorkshire Showground (Railway Road Great Yorkshire, Showground, Harrogate HG2 8NZ); the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show takes place from 11–13 September 2026 at Newby Hall & Gardens (Ripon HG4 5AE). Discover more about both at flowershow.org.uk

(RHS/Mikal Ludlow Photography)

RHS Malvern Spring Festival

Another renowned show from the specialists at the Royal Horticultural Society, the annual, four-day RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a gardening extravaganza featuring show gardens, plants, flowers, shopping, insightful talks and special guests (in 2026, that includes Mary Berry, Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don), plus tasty food and drink options and a spotlight on planet-friendly gardening. Think immersive gardens, climate-conscious planting, narrative landscapes and the occasional installation that makes you wonder whether you have stepped into a conceptual art piece by accident.

Details: 7–10 May 2026 at Three Counties Showground, Malvern WR13 6NW. Plan your visit at rhs.org.uk

Southport Flower Show

A long-standing fixture of the British gardening scene, Southport remains one of the UK’s largest independent flower shows – a kind of seaside-meets-horticulture hybrid where begonias and baking competitions coexist in peaceful harmony. The 2026 edition continues its tradition of sprawling show gardens, plant nurseries, and enthusiastic conversations about soil pH that somehow feel both niche and deeply important.

Details: 13–16 August 2026 at Victoria Park, Southport PR8 1RX. southportflowershow.co.uk