Thousands head to Southport Flower Show for a blooming brilliant weekend

More than 50,000 visitors made their way to Victoria Park this weekend for the Southport Flower Show – one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved events of its kind.

Sponsored by Halliwell Jones Kia Southport, this year’s show was packed with colour, creativity and plenty for families to enjoy across all four days. From award-winning show gardens to celebrity guests, cookery demos and a brand new kids’ trail, there really was something for everyone.

The park was transformed into a floral wonderland, with the Grand Floral Marquee and stunning Show Gardens wowing the crowds. James Comish took home the Brockhouse Gold Challenge Trophy for Best Show Garden, while Dibleys Nurseries scooped The Salopian Trophy for Best Grand Floral Exhibit.

Horticultural highlights also included community-led displays, raised beds, floral art, honey and preserves, plus plant society stands and homegrown entries from amateur growers.

A big hit this year was the Schools Design-a-Garden competition, supported by Merseyrail, with Trawden Forest Primary School’s Gardening Club beating out 500 entries. Their winning design was brought to life by gardening experts Jason Williams (Cloud Gardener UK), Victoria Holden, Bernard Pendleton and Sally Ralston from Merseyrail. The garden is now being rehomed at Farnborough Road Schools.

The celebrity line-up saw fans flock to meet stars including Emmerdale actor-turned-farmer Kelvin Fletcher and wife Liz from Fletchers’ Family Farm, punk icon Toyah Willcox, wildlife cameraman and Strictly winner Hamza Yassin, Gladiators star Zack George, and Wilderness Family adventurer Christian Lewis. Kids’ TV favourite Justin Fletcher also made a special appearance.

Green-fingered guests included David Domoney (Love Your Garden), Nick Bailey (BBC Gardeners’ World), and Carole Baxter and George Anderson from Beechgrove Garden, with Martin and Jill Fish hosting tips and talks in The Potting Shed.

Food fans were well catered for too, with cookery theatre sessions featuring This Morning’s Phil Vickery, Bake Off: The Professionals judge Cherish Finden, TV chef Rosemary Shrager and former GBBO winner Nancy Birtwhistle. Local restaurants also got involved, with live demos from Southport’s 600 Degrees, Tik Taco, Volare and Cake Corner – and Liverpool venues Nord and Manifest.

Live music filled the Piazza Stage all weekend and the outdoor arena had everything from dog agility and horse shows to birds of prey displays.

New for 2025 was a packed kids’ programme, including a children’s trail, mad science show, yoga sessions, a scarecrow festival and even alpacas. A pop-up Waterstones book festival saw some of the show’s biggest names meeting fans and signing books.

The Kids’ Trail included:

• The Potting Shed (Rotary Eco Group)
• Wetland Conservation (Martin Mere)
• Forest School (Gang of Elk)
• Scarecrow Festival (Waterstones)
• Live Bee Hive (National Museums Limited)
• Meet the Alpacas (Natterjack Alpacas)
• Kids’ yoga (Enchanted Fields)
• Tennis skills with Sam Jalloh
• Doodle wall and more

Alan Adams, General Manager of Southport Flower Show, said:
“This year’s show was one of the best yet. We had great weather, brilliant crowds and so much for everyone to enjoy. A huge thank you to all our sponsors, traders, volunteers and the team for making it happen – we’re already looking forward to 2026.”

Southport Flower Show is the UK’s largest independent flower show and a registered charity.

It returns next year from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 August 2026. Early bird tickets are on sale now – find out more at Southport Flower Show website. 

Check out Southport Air Show as it returns this August with two days of sky-high action.

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