Over 100 flower arrangers gathered at Salisbury Cathedral last Saturday to kick off the Flower Festival: The Spirit of Water.
The festival, designed by Michael Bowyer MBE, Salisbury Cathedral’s Creative Director of Flowers, and floral designer Debbie Wadge, will run from May 13 to 18, 2025.
Mr. Bowyer expressed his excitement, saying, “It is wonderful to be planning next year’s Flower Festival. Churches and flower clubs from across the diocese and region have been invited to participate, and it was exciting to share our ideas with them at this weekend’s launch.”
With the theme The Spirit of Water, more than 30,000 flowers will be used to depict water in its various forms.
The festival is expected to attract over 15,000 visitors from across the UK, making it a major event in the region.
Displays will range from scenes of a world without water and semi-dry landscapes to a journey along a ‘river of flowers’ and an ‘ice’ display. A seabed scene will feature hundreds of fish crafted by local community groups.
A stunning installation of woven willow ‘raindrops’ will create a canopy along the Cathedral’s walkway, while a large ‘wave’ of woven cane at the high altar will serve as a focal point. These works will be led by Somerset-based florist and willow weaving teacher, Nicky Heal.
Susan Branch, Salisbury Cathedral’s Flower Administrator, said, “Preparing for the Flower Festival is a huge undertaking, involving hundreds of volunteers and the team at the Cathedral. It is exciting to begin this work for next year, and we are looking forward to sharing our plans with everyone.”
Tickets for the Flower Festival: The Spirit of Water are now available on the Cathedral’s website. Adult tickets are priced at £17, group tickets for 10 or more are £15 each, and tickets for young people under 18 are £7.