Madeira's Flower Festival is the spring event worth travelling for
The Portuguese island of Madeira is often referred to as a floating garden of the Atlantic, and for good reason. This lovely isle in the North Atlantic Ocean is a paradise for anyone who loves flowers.
Thanks to its rich volcanic soil, a wonderful range of vibrantly coloured flowers bloom here throughout the year. But there's no better time to visit than in late spring, when the Madeira Flower Festival takes place.
During the island's enchanting festival, everything in Madeira is about the flowers, and the pretty streets of the island's capital Funchal are filled with colours and scents from floral floats. Parades and performances take place daily as locals celebrate the beauty of the island in bloom.
Next year, Country Living is offering you the chance to join our eight-day trip to coincide with this delightful festival in May, so you can make the most of this amazing floral spectacle.
You'll have a grandstand seat for The Allegoric Flower Parade, one of the festival's highlights, and see floats making their way through the streets of downtown Funchal as live music and fragrant scents fill the air.
If you choose to visit Madeira during the Flower Festival, you'll also want to make sure to visit the island's many gardens. You can spend a day strolling around the beautiful Botanic Gardens, the Palheiro Gardens or the Monte Palace Gardens where you can see flowers from every corner of the globe.
What are the main events of the Madeira Flower Festival?
The festival's main event is the Allegoric Flower Parade, when the streets of Funchal are filled with music, colour and floral perfumes, as an amazing parade of floats accompanied by dancers and musicians dressed in creative and colourful costumes passes by.
EXPERIENCE THE FESTIVAL IN 2023
Another highlight is the Wall of Hope ceremony, a tradition which has taken place in Madeira for over 40 years. During this ceremony, children walk with flowers in their hands towards Praça do Municipio where they construct a wall of flowers known as the 'Wall of Hope' to represent the call for world peace.
There are lots of smaller events that take place during the festival too, including flower concerts where you can enjoy live music surrounded by flora, and markets where you can buy your own plants and sample regional food.
What dates are the Madeira Flower Festival?
The Madeira Flower Festival takes place on the island every spring, in April, or May, when the flowers are in full bloom. In 2022, it will take place between 5th and 29th May, and in 2023, it will take place between 27th April and 21st May.
Where does the Madeira Flower Festival take place?
Although the whole island will be celebrating the beauty of flowers, the main events of the festival take place in the island's capital, Funchal. The Flower Exhibition takes place in the city centre of Funchal, more specifically at Praça do Povo.
Want to experience the Madeira Flower Festival with Country Living in May 2023? Visit our holiday website to read more about our wonderful eight-day trip and how you can book.
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