Madeira’s Flower Festival
Sunflowers in Madeira
Spring is in the air in Europe and along with spring comes the glorious flower festivals. Whereas Chelsea’s annual May Flower Show is world renowned, Madeira has a Flower Festival that dazzles. Every April, the main streets of Funchal are filled with celebrations to mark this spring festival. Unlike the Chelsea Flower Show, Madeira’s Flower Festival takes on more of a carnival atmosphere with street parades and people and floats alike decorated with the floral species of the island.
The celebration runs over four days, with beautiful displays of tropical flowers, floral carpets and music. The highlight of the event is the Flower Festival Parade, which starts with the Children’s parade on the Saturday April 25th. The day before the parade, thousands of children gather in Praça do Município laying flowers to build the “Wall of Hope”. The celebrations climax with the festival’s main parade day on Sunday April 26th, when hundreds of flower dancers accompanied by huge floral floats parade through the main streets of Funchal. With flower displays in shop windows, flower exhibitions and carpets of flower on the streets Madeira transforms into a floating garden at this time. Imagine the perfume in the air and the spectacular sea of colours.
Other Festival Activities
Local flower growers also take the opportunity to display their creativity during this time. Another highlight of the Flower Festival is the great creative display of tropical flowers on the Largo da Restauração. Other activities in Funchal include making carpets of flowers in the streets, performances by folklore groups, flower shows, classical music concerts and variety shows.
The Portuguese know how to celebrate a festival and attendance at this breathtaking festival is a must do if you’re Portugal at this time of year. It’s an opportunity to discover the beauty of Madeira Island and also to experience one of the biggest tourist attractions held every year in April.
Madeira’s Laurel Forest is an UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site so nature lovers will also be able to learn about the flora and fauna from the stunning mountainous centre of Madeira island.
For more ideas on things to do on Madeira Island, click here.
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