Make a free day of it! Fellow flower festival Belgravia in Bloom takes place over the same days, in the neighbourhood next door.
Dozens of floral installations take over the streets of Chelsea this spring… and we’re not talking about the Chelsea Flower Show.
Floral festival Chelsea in Bloom is back for its 21st year, and this time the theme is Out Of This World, promising an “intergalactic wonderland of floral displays inspired by space travel, astrology and spiritual symbolism”.
Shops, restaurants, bars and hotels each display their own take on the cosmic theme, created by professional florists, with 125 local businesses expected to take part. From our own experience, wear comfy shoes if you’re planning to visit them all in one go, as you’ll certainly get your steps in.
The route includes six large-scale floral art installations, including a Zodiac-inspired constellation at Sloane Square; a UFO hovering over Pavilion Road; a lunar landscape at Duke of York Square; and a 4m dragon and Pegasus on Sloane Street. Meanwhile, on the King’s Road, an enormous floral globe honours Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, which falls in May.
Claiming to be London’s largest free flower festival, Chelsea in Bloom runs at the same time as the nearby Chelsea Flower Show, but unlike Chelsea it’s free. Walking tours and rickshaw rides of Chelsea in Bloom (also free) will be available from Sloane Square — keep an eye on the website for updates and details, as well as a map when it becomes available.
Like what you see? The public can vote for the People’s Champion installation; online voting is open from 5pm on Monday 18 May until midnight on Thursday 21 May 2026.
Chelsea in Bloom 2026 takes place 18-24 May. Keep an eye on the website for further details. Check out the photos of last year’s fashion-themed Chelsea in Bloom for an idea of what to expect.
