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If you, like us, dream of frolicking through flower fields, you need to pack your Polaroid and head to Floriade. This free, month-long flower festival – which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere – sees more than one million bulbs bursting into bloom at Canberra’s Commonwealth Park. For its 39th year, Floriade is turning into a Feast of Flowers, celebrating the connection between nature, food and community through one-off lunches, hands-on cooking demonstrations, garden tours and more.
By day, you can watch the parklands burst into a kaleidoscope of colour. Then visit at dusk to see the flowers glow under the stars during NightFest – an after-dark festival filled with concerts, dance parties and market stalls. Here’s everything you need to know about Floriade 2026.
When is Floriade in Canberra?
The month-long spring flower festival will return for its 39th year from Saturday, September 12 to Sunday, October 11, 2026. Entry is free from 9.30am to 5.30pm daily.
NightFest will also return from Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4, with gates opening from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Where is Floriade held in Canberra?
As always, Floriade will bloom to life in the heart of Canberra at the beautiful Commonwealth Park on Regatta Place. It’s just a 15-minute walk from the Light Rail stop via City Walk and Allara Street, or a 20 to 30-minute walk from the National Triangle.
Is Floriade free?
Yes – general entry to Floriade is completely free, and there’s no need to register. However, some workshops and special events, like NightFest, are ticketed.
What to do at Floriade?
Stop and smell the roses – or rather the tulips, of course! You could easily spend an hour or two roaming around the perfectly manicured garden beds, which, for 2026, draw inspiration from seasonal harvests and the rituals of gathering, cooking and sharing meals. Embracing this year's theme, the program will also serve up floral-inspired high teas, grazing box workshops, matcha masterclasses, cooking demonstrations, First Nations food experiences and a one-off lunch with the national opera.
Beyond the food, festivalgoers can immerse themselves in live orchestral and dance performances, while keen gardeners can get hands-on with horticultural workshops and guided tours. There are also market stalls to peruse, where you can chat with the region’s best food and wine producers, plus global food trucks for that all-important refuelling.
Popular dates to mark in your calendar are Dogs’ Day Out, happening on Sunday, October 11, and The Great Big Bulb Dig on Monday, October 12, where you can dig up bulbs from the display beds to take home. You can explore the full program here.
What is Floriade NightFest?
From October 1 to 4, Commonwealth Park stays up late for NightFest – the evening component of Floriade that transforms the floral displays into an after-dark wonderland with vibrant illuminations, live entertainment and delicious food stalls. Headline acts to look forward to in 2026 include Temper Trap, Tim Finn, Pacific Avenue, Busby Marou and Christine Anu. Gates open from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, and you can check out the program here.
Where to eat at Floriade?
While you can BYO food and drink to Floriade for a DIY picnic, there are plenty of food and drink stalls on site. Expect everything from gozleme and vegan shawarma to bento boxes, dumplings, curries, pizza and gnocchi.