As we turned the corner our spirits lightened upon seeing an amazing display of ever changing lights, music and flowers. Not just any flowers – these were the largest inflatable flowers we have ever seen! Our children giggled and pointed at the fairy wonderland before us and danced along with the music as we slowly ambled through the display.
My family originally planned to visit Floriade in Canberra several months ago and it was great to finally visit both the daytime Floriade as well as the NightFest.
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Floriade by Day
We deferred our visit to daytime Floriade by one day as a result of rain in Canberra and we were very happy with our decision. We had lovely blue skies and the site was uncrowded so we felt very relaxed as we took in the sights.
The tapestry of flowers as we entered was amazing. You really need to take them in from several different perspectives to make the most of the experience.
We really enjoyed riding in the Ferris Wheel where you could look at the gardens from above and see the patterns which have been created.
World Map of Flowers
From the ground I had no idea that a world map of flowers had been created – but from above the pattern was clear!
Tapestry of Flowers
Similarly, the main floral display has a whole series of more abstract patterns for each garden bed, and the individual beds of flowers were lovely.
Gnome Knoll
We enjoyed visiting the Gnome Knoll and seeing the various gnome displays which are a long tradition at Floriade. Our children were disappointed to find out that they could not paint a gnome on the day that we visited.
Floriade NightFest
We actually visited Floriade NightFest before we went to daytime Floriade as a result of the rain. Fortunately the rain had cleared before NightFest started so we were able to leave our umbrellas behind!
Our children’s eyes lit up as we arrived at the NightFest site. The amazing display of lights and colours combined perfectly with the carpets of flowers. The Ferris Wheel looked amazing with its night time colours.
Triffid Garden at NightFest
The highlight of the night was the Triffid Garden. We had heard from others that the Triffid garden was the place to visit, and we were not disappointed to see and hear the display. The large inflatable flowers were beautifully lit through an ever changing sea of colours and music.
Tapestry of Flowers at NightFest
The tapestry of flowers also looked amazing under the NightFest lighting, which included constantly changing lighting colours and spotlights, along with quieter music.
NightFest Performances
Throughout NightFest were a range of performances. We capped off our night in the Balloon Arena by first watching a balloon artist at work. He was making a whole range of balloon art for the children. The performance was amazing! He was actually a clown who was making balloons, complete with a piano accordion accompaniment which my children loved.
We then stayed to watch the Strings On Fire performance, which had been recommended to us by another parent. It was a great choice, as it is not often you get to see two accomplished violinists play along to the classics (and a few modern tunes) whilst also performing acrobatics along with a fire display! We loved it and the show was a great highlight for our evening out.
Our Verdict
We really enjoyed our visits to both daytime Floriade and NightFest and would definitely recommend that you also visit this great spring festival of flowers.
About Floriade
Floriade is usually held from mid September to mid October each year. Entry is free and the site is usually open daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Monday to Friday, and from 9.00am to 5.30pm on weekends and public holidays.
In addition the Floriade NightFest Light Festival provides a diverse range of lighting displays on the Floriade site. NightFest is a ticketed event which runs on select dates.
This article was written in collaboration with Visit Canberra and Floriade.
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Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Wow, I have always been curious about Floriade but never made it over from the west. Thank you for convincing me that next year we should make an effort to head over.
Lyn, thanks for your comment. It was great and I definitely recommend that you visit Floriade.
Wow looks like Kuekenhof in Amsterdam. … beautiful flowers I love it.
Anne, thanks for your comment. I will have to look up Kuekenhof – I love flowers so it is great to learn what other events are on around the world!
I absolutely love stuff like this, and had no idea there was anything like it in Canberra! I’d love to go if I was ever there for the right timing.
Beth, thanks for your comment. I think almost every area that you travel has its own local festivals and it is great to try to line up your travel plans with these kinds of events.
Wow, stunning photos Anne and I am glad it didn’t rain when you visited. That second last photo is simply stunning. Did you take it with a tripod?
Rosemarie, thanks for your comment. My husband did a great job of taking all of the photos that I used in the article and yes, we lugged around his tripod all night. But it was worth it!