The Southport Flower Show is making its much anticipated return this week.
The popular annual event, which is sponsored by Home Bargains, is back with a bang this year following a two year hiatus in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This week, the show will dominate Victoria Park, dazzling gardening fans and their families with a spectacle of flora, fauna, events and entertainment beside the seaside.
The UK’s largest independent flower show will open this Thursday, August 18 and will run for four days, coming to a close on Sunday, August 21. The 2022 show will see the return of the stunning grand floral marquee - which Southport is famous for - as well as the consistently popular amateur competitions, where enthusiastic and talented home growers from across the north go head-to-head.
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There'll be plenty to see and discover in the display gardens, alongside talks by knowledgeable experts, including Adam Frost from the BBC's Gardeners' World, ITV's Love Your Garden presenter Katie Rushworth, and Daisy Desire, who is known to thousands of Instagram followers as the 'Drag Queen Gardener'. In a break from recent tradition, the show will be opened by a local hero, as opposed to a celebrity. This year's honour goes to Dr Karen Groves, who was nominated for her years of service at Southport's Queenscourt Hospice.
Away from the floral displays, former Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and husband Aljaž Škorjanec will bring some glitter ball glamour to guests in the Garden Theatre on Friday. There will also be a pop-up shopping village with more than 350 trade exhibitors, offering a vast range of unusual and unique products for home and garden.
Some of the nation’s best-known chefs will appear in the cookery theatre, including Hairy Biker Si King who puts on two shows on Saturday. TV chefs and Liverpool restaurateurs Ellis Barrie and Dave Critchley will also appear, and on Thursday, visitors can see Jemma Melvin, the Southport home baker whose Lemon Swiss Roll and Amaretti Trifle won the BBC’s Platinum Pudding competition to create the official dessert for the Queen’s Jubilee.
Children go free at Southport, and younger guests will be entertained by performers including children’s TV favourite Justin Fletcher. The star of CBeebies, known to millions for his popular characters including Mr Tumble, will return to Southport with a new live show for 2022 in the Garden Theatre on Sunday. There are also fun-packed science and discovery workshops with hands-on activities designed to keep kids busy.
The Southport Flower show aims to offer fun for the whole family, with dogs welcome once again. There’ll even be a performance by the West Lancashire Dog Display in the Arena.
How to get there
Southport Flower Show will return to its traditional home at the 34-acre setting of Victoria Park, which is close to the town centre and also Pleasureland and the sea front. It is well connected to the north west motorway network and there is plenty of parking.
The postcode is PR8 1RX, but the entrances to the show and surrounding car parks are all very well sign posted when you reach Southport. Motorists are advised to follow the signs rather than Satnav.
The show site is 15 to 20 minutes' walk from Southport train station. Regular trains, buses and coaches run to Southport from Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester. There is a shuttle bus available at a return cost.
How to get tickets
You can turn up and pay on the gate, with a day pass costing £27, but buying an early bird ticket online in advance can save £3, with a day pass costing £24. Children under the age of 16 go free when they are accompanied by a paying adult.
The early bird tickets are flexible and can be used on any one of the show days. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
Weather forecast for the Southport Flower Show
The Met Office is forecasting dry weather in the daytime for the first two days with sunny spells on Friday.
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