Manchester city centre will be in full bloom this Bank Holiday - not just because of the parties taking place to honour the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, but because it marks the return of the annual Manchester Flower Show.
This year's vibrant floral displays come to shop windows, squares, streets, and statues, and will be extra special as they have been inspired by the Queen’s 70 years of service. The free event - taking place from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5 - sees a trail of 10 beautiful arrangements, including 'The Crown Jewels' and 'The Changing of the Guard.'
Alongside the trail, other signature 'festival zone' displays include The Queen's Gambit, located on New Cathedral Street, which uses crates filled with black and white plants, inspired by the chessboard, and The Queen’s Tea Party, housed in The Corn Exchange Atrium, which is a take on the traditional English tea party, crafted from dried and artificial flowers.
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There will also be plenty of entertainment on offer, with talks and live music on the main stage in Exchange Square, a Manchester Flower Show Cocktail Trail, pop-up food and drink stalls on New Cathedral Street and Exchange Square, and a flower and craft market on Market Street.
The event is coordinated by Manchester BID (Manchester Business Improvement District) and CityCo. Jane Sharrocks, Manchester Business Improvement District chair and general manager of Selfridges Exchange Square said: “The Manchester Flower Show is yet another example of our retail and hospitality sectors coming together to help build back the city post-pandemic.
"It demonstrates creativity, collaboration and resilience and we’re incredibly grateful to all the artists, community groups, retailers and businesses who are playing their part to bring this beautiful event to our city to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
There are 10 professionally designed displays to be discovered - this is where you can find them:
1. The Crown
Manchester Arndale, outside Next
Designed by Decordia, visitors can discover a huge crown-shaped planter, filled with a colourful mix of tropical palms and jewel-like English flowers.
2. Queen Bee
Manchester Arndale, near Wilkos
Located in the upper mall, this clever display has been created by Wild in Art by upcycling a bee sculpture from the previous Wild in Art Bee Trail across the city. Covered in artificial flowers, this installation will feature a beautiful, real flower crown designed by FROG Flowers.
3. Queen of Pop
New Cathedral Street, near M&S and Selfridges
Designed by Crafthouse Creations and inspired by Andy Warhol’s 1960s pop portraits of Her Majesty, the Queen of Pop installation will allow visitors to step back in time via a 1960’s Pop Art arch, where they will find planters and wheelbarrows overflowing with stunning summer flowers.
4. The Commonwealth Tuk-Tuk
New Cathedral Street, Near Harvey Nichols
Paying tribute to all who name the Queen their head of state, this customised, retro tuk-tuk created by La Beau Fleurs and Birdie will be adorned with blue and purple flowers grown in Cheshire, making a nod to the Queen’s favourite colour (blue) and the colour of nobility (purple).
5. The Crown Jewels
St. Anns Square
At the heart of the British monarchy are the legendary crown jewels – and they’re at the heart of this display, too. With a throne surrounded by a profusion of fresh and dried flowers (delphiniums, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, alliums, agapanthus), this is one of the most beautiful displays you’ll see all summer.
6. Changing of the Guard
St. Ann’s Square, near Watches of Switzerland
Bringing London to the heart of Manchester, the Changing of the Guard will feature a Buckingham Palace inspired Guard’s Hut, Trafalgar Square lions, and a very British show of red, white, and blue flowers, all designed by popular Northern Quarter florist, FROG Flowers.
7. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Urban Garden
St. Ann’s Square, near Richard Cobden Statue
Created by Garden Designer, Ellie Edkins, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Garden will be the star of the show at this year’s floral festival. With seven aged oak posts representing the Queen’s 70 years in service, cottage garden flowers and three native trees, visitors will want to explore every corner of this beautiful pop-up garden.
8. The Jubilee Kiosk
King Street, Deansgate End
Did you know one of the Queen’s first acts as she ascended the throne was to modernise the humble telephone box? Making the perfect backdrop for your Instagram grid, FROG Flowers has paid homage to the traditional red telephone box in this eye-catching display located on King Street.
9. Horse Play
King Street, Cross Street End
Celebrating the Queen’s love of horses, Twig Twisters have created a truly one-off display. Capturing a horse in motion, this sculpture has been made entirely of twisted willow and carefully created by popular artist, Sarah Haynes. With flower-filled drinking troughs at its base, this display is a playful celebration of horse racing and show jumping.
10. The Ju-bee-lee Garden
Upper King Street, Near Pall Mall Court + And So To Bed
Celebrating the Manchester Bee as well as the Platinum Jubilee, this pop-up garden created by The Manchester Flower Show community team and sponsored by online delivery service, Prestige Flowers, will be filled with an array of purple flowers including lupins, delphiniums, and lavender.
With benches for visitors to relax and hexagonal planters in the shape of beehives, this garden will also feature both young and old silver birch trees, in reference to the passing of time. Each tree will be permanently planted after the flower festival has taken place as part of the Jubilee Green Canopy Scheme, which has seen thousands of new trees go into the ground across the country.
The Manchester Flower and Produce Show started life in the 1950s in Platt Fields Park, before being revived in the city centre in 2018. For more information, head to https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/the-manchester-flower-show.
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