The Floriade festival was created by landscape designer Chris De Bruine and his colleague, horticulturist Peter Sutton. They proposed to make a grand floral display to celebrate the country’s bicentenary and the 75th birthday of Canberra. The inaugural Floriade was held in 1988 as a one-off event, but it turned out such a success that it was decided to hold it annually. Today’s Floriade is a month-long celebration of spring in Australia that attracts almost half a million attendees each year. It is considered the most important regular event for tourism in the Australian Capital Territory.
The name of the festival was derived from the Latin word “floriat”, which means to design with flowers. Floriade features stunning floral displays, sculptures, and other works of public art. Every year, over a million blooms are used to create a stunning backdrop to a month-long event. Floriada commissions works which are placed in the park during the festival. Each year has a new theme, some of the past themes have included Be Spring Inspired!, Beautiful Innovation, Embrace Passion, Create Memories, and Life in Bloom.
Alongside floral displays in Commonwealth Park, Floriade features an extensive program of live performances, artistic displays, cultural celebrations, horticultural workshops, entertainment and recreational activities. There’s something here for everyone! Each week Floriade offers new and exciting experiences. In addition to weekly programs, there are activities available every day, such as morning walks, markets, amusement rides, musical performances by local schools, helicopter rides, and Gnome Kroll. By the way, admission to the festival is free.
NightFest is a paid ticketed event that runs over several nights alongside Floriade. It includes live musical performances, acrobatics, comedy, movies, shopping, and other activities and attractions.
Photo: floriadeaustralia.com
