A staple of the June Bank Holiday Weekend, Bord Bia Bloom is an annual extravaganza of food, fashion, flowers and craft.
Now celebrating its 20th year, Ireland's premier garden festival takes place across 70 beautiful acres of Dublin's Phoenix Park from Thursday, 28 May – Monday, 1 June.
Here are six things to do at the nation’s favourite festival of flowers, food, and sustainable living.
1. Visit the Super Garden winner
Visit the winning garden design from this year's Super Garden! Right now, the winner is being kept under wraps until the final airs on RTÉ One on Thursday night, but fans of the show will get to see the winning design in person at Bloom's show gardens.
2. Visit the RTÉ tent
RTÉ returns to the park with a feast of live music, chat, live shows from RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ lyric fm favourites Marty Whelan, Lorcan Murray, Simon Delaney, Liz Nolan and George Hamilton. Marty Morrissey and Áine Lawlor are back with Bloom Live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Check out the full programme here.
3. Check out some stand-out spaces
Visitors can expect 20 headline show gardens, tackling everything from biodiversity and climate action to mental health, wellbeing and the circular economy. This year's standout spaces include a sculptural garden marking Bloom's 20th anniversary and another celebrating 90 years of Met Eireann. There will also be a 'Celebrity Dream Garden' inspired by Brendan Courtney, and creative balcony spaces packed with great ideas for small-space living.
4. Learn how to create your own show garden
Diarmuid Gavin and BBC’s Adam Frost are among a host of talented designers and horticulturists sharing knowledge and practical tips at the Garden Stage across the weekend. You can also ask for personalised advice from plants people, garden designers, and tree specialists in Bloom’s three 'Ask the Expert’ clinics and catch a host of interactive workshops in the Botanical Hub Demo Space.
5. Feast on delicious food and drinks
From the special ‘A Taste of Bloom’ three-course dining experience curated by chef Neven Maguire to a diverse range of cuisines served in the fleet of 50-plus food trucks, there’s something to tantalise all taste buds. Top chefs including Donal Skehan, Eva Pau, Aisling Larkin, and Rory O'Connell are all expected to make an appearance at the festival. Plus you will have the chance to check out over 100 artisan food and drink producers and 25 live cookery demonstrations.
6. Have fun with your Budding Bloomers
There's plenty for the whole family to enjoy at Bloom this year. The Minions are back in the Show Gardens with their new character, Irene. Paddy Courtney is returning with his popular Planting Patch in the Budding Bloomers Children’s Area. Families can enjoy fun activities including willow weaving, Bubbling Botanicals with Scientific Sue, Story Time, Bitesize Biodiversity, and lots more educational adventures.
