Ahead of the event later this month, Bord Bia Bloom has announced its full line-up, with a focus on embracing the outdoors for health and well-being, planet-conscious living, and quality Irish foods.
The festival is returning for the June bank holiday weekend, from 30 May to 3 June, in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
It will be filled with a colourful collection of show gardens, tantalising displays of Irish food and drink, inspiring talks and demos, and live/interactive entertainment for attendees of all ages.
Now in its 18th year, Bloom expects to welcome more than 100,000 visitors over five days, for an experience rooted in sustainable living.
Gardens In Bloom
A total of 22 small, medium, and large show and feature gardens will reflect the most recent trends and advancements in garden design.
Environmentally conscious gardens, designed with the aim of enhancing biodiversity, are at the forefront once again.
Designers such as Hendrik Lepel, Nóra Tombor and James Purdy will be displaying gardens with innovative designs.
This year will also see the return of the popular Postcard Gardens, which include 13 small but perfectly formed pop-up gardens.
These have been designed and built by community groups, schools, and training groups from across Ireland.
The lively Nursery Village will include nurseries, floral displays, and a botanical art exhibition.
Food And Fun
The Food Village returns, featuring almost 100 leading Irish food and drink companies.
Attendees can expect food demonstrations from acclaimed chefs such as Darina Allen, Neven Maguire, Fiona Uyema, Adrian Martin, Erica Drum and more.
The Quality Kitchen Stage will also hold interviews with more than 40 Irish food producers.
On the Sustainable Living Stage, 40 insightful talks will take place, covering topics like food waste, plastic pollution, and the importance of pollinators.
The stage will also see conversations about sustainable food solutions, tips for home energy-saving, natural skincare hacks and more, emceed by Suzanne Campbell.
The Garden Stage will host Bloom show garden designers past and present.
Expect to see Fiann Ó Nualláin, Monica Alvaréz and Niall McCauley among the speakers.
There will be plenty to do for the whole family, with live entertainment on the Main Stage, as well as workshops on bugs and birds, games, a toddler play area, and much more.
For shoppers, the Design & Crafts Council Ireland area and the Plant Emporium are must-visits.
RTÉ Radio 1’s Roadcaster will be on site over the long weekend, with the Main Stage hosting Lyric FM’s Marty in the Morning.
‘No Other Festival Like Bloom’
Speaking about the event, the chief executive of Bord Bia, Jim O’Toole, said, “We are immensely proud of how Bord Bia Bloom has developed as a unique festival experience.
“Bloom was originally founded to provide a premier platform for showcasing Irish horticulture, food and drink, and we have succeeded in delivering this vision.
“As we look forward to the 18th year, the festival is more relevant than ever.
“Bloom offers visitors the opportunity to sample quality products and innovations, while also providing an interactive national platform to address important societal issues and hear stories from communities around Ireland.”
The head of Bord Bia Bloom and brand partnerships, Laura Douglas, added, “A ticket to Bloom promises a great day out, whether coming with friends, a partner, or family.
“With our beautiful show gardens, live entertainment, fantastic selection of food and drink, and five stages jam-packed with talks and demos, there is simply no other festival like Bloom in Ireland!”
Tickets are on sale now for €30 – up to two children aged 12 and under go free with every adult ticket.
For more information, see www.bordbiabloom.com.
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