A Guide To The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns to the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 19 to 23 May 2026, and as always it promises a wonderful, even regal mix of leading garden designers, specialist growers and cultural organisations for five days of planting, landscape design and horticultural innovation

Kicking off spring in London in style, this year also sees Range Rover announced as headline sponsor of both the show and the RHS Charity Gala Preview. Plus, the marque will present a garden installation that explores architectural planting and contemporary approaches to sustainable design. As Martin Limpert, Range Rover’s MD, tells C&TH: ‘RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a global stage for design excellence, craftsmanship and cultural leadership, values that sit at the heart of Range Rover. Our partnership reflects a shared belief in thoughtful, purposeful design and the best of modern creativity.’

(RHS)

What’s On At RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026?

Show gardens remain the focus of Chelsea every year, with new commissions that look at planting design, sustainability and the evolving relationship between gardens and public life. The anticipated highlights set for this year include the Saatchi Gallery’s garden created with kinetic artist Lucy Gregory and designer Naomi Ferrett-Cohen. Inspired by Matisse’s The Dance, the installation shows sculptural elements that respond to movement, adding a contemporary art perspective to a landscape setting.

Project Giving Back marks its final year at Chelsea with a Feature Garden by James Basson of Scape Design. Here, the garden highlights five years of funding charity-led gardens at the show, many of which have since been relocated across the UK for long-term community use.

King Charles & David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show 2025. (RHS)

The King makes a return to Chelsea Flower show with The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden, designed by Frances Tophill with contributions from David Beckham, Alan Titchmarsh and Charles himself. Designed to honour Beckham, one of the Foundation’s ambassadors, there will be seven raised beds and a ‘museum of curiosities’, aiming to encourage the nation to get curious about gardening.

Pragnell is also supporting the Lady Garden Foundation’s ‘Silent No More’ garden on Main Avenue this year, designed by Darren Hawkes – which the brand’s MD Charlie Pragnell says he is ‘delighted’ to be involved with so as to ‘amplify their important message’.  If you won’t be attending the Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea this year, make sure you pop down to its Mount Street showroom to see a floral facade installation created in collaboration with floral designer Hazel Gardiner and drawing on Hawkes’ soft tonal planting palette. ‘We hope our Mount Street design helps to continue the conversation and emphasise the importance of our commitment to philanthropy,’ Pragnell says.

Chelsea Flower Show 2025

Inside the Great Pavilion, specialist growers from across the UK and internationally return with botanical displays, rare plant collections and a new flower farm installation highlighting the revival of British-grown cut flowers. Here, David Austin Roses is expected to unveil a new English shrub rose named after David Beckham. Developed in support of The King’s Foundation, where Beckham serves as an ambassador, the rose continues Chelsea’s tradition of introducing new varieties with wider cultural and charitable connections.

Elsewhere, GreenSTEM returns for 2026 with displays exploring biodiversity, climate-resilient planting and environmental research that influence the future of gardening. Visitors can also see shortlisted entries for the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Excellence Awards within the RHS Experience space in the Pavilion, recognising exhibitors that embrace more responsible approaches to gardening materials and production.

The Chelsea Pensioners at Chelsea Flower Show 2025. (RHS)

Where & When

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 May 2026 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Only RHS members can attend on 19 and 20 May, with public access from Thursday onwards.

The gates typically open from 8am, with earlier closing on the final Saturday afternoon when the traditional plant sell-off bargains begin.

Do I Need Tickets?

Tickets must be booked in advance and often sell out, especially for preview days and early public sessions later in the week.

RHS members receive priority access, with hospitality options available across the showground.

Book at rhs.org.uk

The Princess of Wales Kate Middleton visits RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. © Oliver Dixon/RHS

What To Wear

Once your tickets are sorted, it’s time to plan your outfit. The official dress code is smart casual, with encouragement from the RHS to dress up on members’ days (Tuesday and Wednesday). Method dressing is a key theme at Chelsea Flower Show, so expect spring blooms galore. Pastels, pinks and polka dots also won’t go amiss. Find our full guide to Chelsea Flower Show dressing here.

King Charles visits Chelsea Flower Show 2025. (RHS)

Will King Charles III Be There?

The King is a familiar face at Chelsea Flower Show, as are many members of the royal family. Following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, Charles has been the RHS’s Patron and has attended all three shows since as the reigning monarch, joined by his wife, Queen Camilla.

That said, as a passionate gardener himself, Charles also attended Chelsea Flower Show countless times as the Prince of Wales. He typically strolls around the grounds, visits the Highgrove Shop and pops into a few show gardens. This year, there’s no doubt he will visit the Curious Garden, presented by The King’s Foundation and the RHS.

Other royal fans of Chelsea Flower Show include Catherine, Princess of Wales, though she has not attended in recent years amid health concerns. Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are also frequent attendees.

Harkness Roses at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025. (RHS)

Food & Drink At RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026

Those who know the Chelsea Flower Show, know that dining is a part of the whole experience. As such, expect to be impressed by several restaurants and hospitality spaces, including the Ranelagh Restaurant with its four-course seasonal lunch and RHS-inspired afternoon tea, and tapas by famed chef José Pizarro.

The Promenade by The Dorchester presents a floral afternoon tea created under the direction of Culinary Director Martyn Nail, while Spring Garden offers one of the show’s more private dining settings. Elsewhere across the site, cafés, picnic areas and street-food counters provide lighter options throughout the day, and naturally showcase seasonal British ingredients.

Angellica Bell & Nicki Chapman presenting the BBC’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show coverage in 2025. (BBC Studios)

How To Watch RHS At Home

Coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show airs across BBC One and BBC Two throughout show week, with daily highlights, designer interviews and tours of the show gardens presented by the BBC gardening team.

Full episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer for viewers who want a closer look at the medal-winning gardens and planting details from home.

The Garden at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Where To Stay Nearby

Staying in Chelsea or nearby Knightsbridge places visitors within easy reach of the Royal Hospital grounds.

The Cadogan is conveniently close, and offers a residential setting with direct access to Sloane Square and the show entrance.

For a smaller boutique alternative nearby, Beaverbrook Town House offers Japanese dining at The Fuji Grill and a location well placed for Pavilion Road and Sloane Street.

As for Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is a glam base close to the sweeping greenery of Hyde Park while remaining within easy reach of the show.