The Chichester Cathedral Festival of Flowers is a four-day biennial floral spectacular held in June inside the cathedral.
It began in 1996 and takes place every other year, with over 60 floral arrangements and over 50,000 blooms. In 2026, it will take place from 3 – 6 June.
The festival is organised by Chichester Cathedral Trust and has raised over £1.2million towards the cost of restoration work over the past years. The 2026 Festival marks its 30th anniversary.
The festival is an extraordinary display of colour, creativity and opulence, within the achingly beautiful setting of the medieval cathedral. Dancing light, floral scents and vibrant colours jockey for attention in every corner. There are arches of flowers, alleyways of flowers, floral chandeliers, floral scenes and floral surprises.
It is a wonderfully spiritual and hedonistic assault on the senses in all the right ways, and like a greedy child, your eye is drawn from one display to another as you try to devour this colourful explosion of talent.
There is also an artisan market held during the festival in the Cathedral’s cloisters filled with Sussex-based handcrafted floral arrangements, house and home items, local wine and produce. Or head to the Cloisters Kitchen & Garden for a quick bite to eat.
You do not need to be religious or green fingered to appreciate the incredible displays and talent that go into creating the Chichester Cathedral Festival of Flowers. It is a glorious and happy celebration of light, form, architecture and floristry, and an absolute joy to observe.
To complement the Festival of Flowers, Chichester in Bloom will see more than 15 city centre businesses invest in bespoke floral installations, created in collaboration with the city’s independent florists, Flower and Hedge Rose.
The displays will launch on the opening day of the festival, creating a striking and cohesive visual experience across the city’s streets, creating a perfect excuse for a visit to the city.
The festival flower festival only comes around once every two years and is enchantingly beautiful.
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