I don’t know about you, but I spent Easter weekend down the garden centre admiring flowers and picking out vegetable seeds. It’s officially gardening season. Looking for more inspiration, I found a quieter, but just as beloved alternative to the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show in the West Midlands.
RHS Malvern Spring Festival returns to Three Counties Showground with a four-day showcase next month (May 7 to 10, 2026). As the first RHS Flower Show of the season, it has built a strong reputation for setting gardening trends and leading the way in horticultural innovations—so flower fanatics will see it all here first.
The 2026 festival looks to host the country’s best-known expert horticulturalists and TV gardening personalities once more (from Alan Titchmarsh to Monty Don). You will also find the crowning of the very first RHS award-winning show gardens of the year, as well as plenty of shopping opportunities and fun family activities.
What can I expect from the RHS Malvern Spring Festival?
This year’s theme is ‘Roots of the Future: honour the past, grow the future’ and will celebrate gardening traditions, while embracing the latest innovations. Visitors are invited to discover how traditional practices combine with modern ideas, such as climate-resilient design, biodiversity and soil health.
A highlight of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is the ground-breaking Show Gardens, all meticulously designed by leading and emerging horticultural talents. This includes the RHS-judged Indoor Plant Gardens, which made its pioneering debut last year, as well as the first RHS-judged outdoor Show Gardens of 2026.
Other highlights include a new feature garden, designed by Cheltenham-based Martyn Wilson, that will showcase the (perhaps somewhat unknown or surprising) benefits of clay soil; while the enormous Floral Marquee packed with over 70 of the UK’s top nurseries, alongside the Plant Village and Pavilions, will also return.
How much does it cost?
An advanced day ticket ranges from £27 to £41, depending on the day (Thursday being the most expensive, Sunday being the cheapest). However, you can pick up a ‘Taster Ticket’ that means you can experience the festival from 2pm onwards on Saturday, May 9, for just £16. The ‘Dog Day’ also returns for 2026 on Sunday, May 10, for well-behaved dogs, with a limited number of dog tickets available here.