The Coolest Flower Festivals Around the World

If you love flowers as much as we do, there’s a good chance you’ll get a kick out of celebrating their sheer beauty and power.

From Thailand to the United States, flower celebrations can be found in nearly every corner of the globe. Whether you’re looking for a flower festival to attend on your next vacation or simply looking for celebrations of flowers around the world, you’ll find the best in this list of the coolest flower festivals around the world.

Spain: Batalla de Flores

Between beautiful architecture and plentiful museums, Spain is well-known for its cultural depth. The Batalla de Flores is a flower festival held annually in July at the end of the local festival Feria de Julio, which lasts a full month. Batalla de Flores is held in Valencia each year and includes breathtaking flower decorations, a parade of flower floats, incredible local music, and some of the best food stalls in the city.

Italy: La Battaglia di Fiori

Every two years, Ventimiglia, Italy has a celebration of the flowers around the world during the La Battaglia dei Fiori. The festival lasts two days and features a variety of events, including an introduction parade, a main float parade, and a flower pelting battle between all attendees. The annual event features native Italian music, traditional and modern Italian dance, as well as an incredible fireworks display to cap off the celebration.

US: California Poppy Festival

Held each year in Lancaster, California, the California Poppy Festival is the perfect place to live out your childhood dreams of The Wizard of Oz. The bright orange field of poppies is featured in a two-day festival, celebrating the California state flower and giving locals an excuse to show off their avant-garde culture. The festival features a farmers market, art exhibitions, booths and shopping, as well as a full-on auto show.

Belgium: Brussels’ Flower Carpet

The bi-annual Brussels Flower Carpet takes place  in front of City Hall in Brussels, Belgium, where it was started in 1971. At each festival, over 100 volunteers work together to create a 75m by 24m carpet in under eight hours. The carpet includes 1800 square meters of dahlias, begonias, bark and grass. In addition to taking in the beautiful design, spectators can also enjoy a sound and light show that includes a musical theme made for the specific design.

Thailand: Chiang Mai Flower Festivals

During the first weekend in February each year, those visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand can enjoy the Chiang Mai Festival. Noted as one of the most colorful flower celebrations around the world, the festival features the Damask rose, which is native to the locale. In addition to viewing the beautiful roses, spectators also admire orchids and chrysanthemums featured in floats and displays around the festival. Every year, attendees look forward to traditional music and dance amidst natural beauty.