Bord Bia Bloom announced an exciting line-up of local and international horticultural talent for the five-day festival which takes place from May 29th – June 2nd this year. Among the headliners are homegrown gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost who will both take part in a series of talks and discussions on the Garden Stage at the much-loved flowers, food, and family festival this summer. Now in its 19th year, Bloom will return to its home in the Phoenix Park, Dublin for five days over the June Bank Holiday weekend. The announcement was made at the Garden Press Event, which took place in London today.
Speaking at the Garden Press Event, Kerrie Gardiner, Show Gardens and Horticulture Content Manager, Bord Bia Bloom said, “The 2025 horticultural line-up has been designed to offer something for everyone while showcasing the best talent from Ireland and the UK. We are thrilled to have experts such as Diarmuid and Adam join us for what promises to be another fantastic event, along with Andrew Wilson, one of the UK’s leading garden design experts, returning as our Chief Show Garden Judge. In addition to our headliners, we also place considerable emphasis on fostering emerging talent to support our flourishing horticultural sector and we have a number of exciting designers and exhibitors coming to Bloom this year!”.
As Ireland’s premier gardening event, Bord Bia Bloom provides a platform to promote the best of horticultural talent, ideas and trends. At the heart of the show, visitors will be delighted by 21 stunning show gardens that will tell stories on a range of themes. These include the ‘Make A Wish Foundation Garden’, designed by Linda McKeown, ‘GRÁ’ designed by Kathryn Feeley for Dogs Trust, Tusla Fostering Garden designed by English designer Pip Probert, The Circular Economy Garden designed by David Negus for the European Commission, and the Plant Lover’s Garden, designed by Patricia Tyrell for Bord Bia’s Easy Steps to Dream Gardens initiative, with many more to be announced.
Cultivating Talent
Among the new designers for 2025 is Sarah Cotterill, winner of Bord Bia Bloom’s Cultivating Talent initiative sponsored by Westland which aims to nurture the next generation of garden designers and horticulture professionals. An Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at UCD with a keen interest in sustainable water management, Sarah was awarded a Silver Medal at RHS Hampton Court in the Resilient Pocket Planting category in 2024. Her garden ‘Into the Woods’ will be a tribute to the unique Atlantic rainforests of Ireland.
Community Gardens, Advice & Plants
The popular Postcard Gardens* feature also returns and provides community groups with the opportunity to tell local stories to a national audience through creative garden design. The Garden Stage will host 40 horticultural talks and share advice from a panel of experts. The Nursery Village will display a vast collection of rare and quality plants from Irish and international plant nurseries which are available to purchase.
Great Day Out
Preparations are well underway to welcome over 100,000 visitors to the festival’s 70-acre site at the end of May. In addition to gardening features, the organisers have a wealth of activities and new experiences to be announced in the coming weeks across food, sustainable living, and live entertainment for all ages. For younger visitors, there’s plenty to enjoy too, with a new planting experience for children along with a range of fun, educational and interactive workshops at the Budding Bloomers area.
Commenting, Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom said, “Bloom has continued to evolve over the last 19 years to consistently deliver a worldclass event that inspires, educates and entertains our visitors while making sure to offer new and exciting experiences each year. As a festival that has gardening, food and sustainable living at its heart, we look forward to announcing a range of other features and experiences for this year’s event over the coming weeks.”
Tickets
Early-bird Tickets (€25) are available until March 30th and are on sale via the BordBiaBloom.com website. Two children (aged 16 and under) go free with each adult ticket purchased. A family early bird ticket is also available, priced at €45 for two adults and up to four children.
Media Accreditation
Media accreditation is now open for this year’s event, and interested parties are encouraged to register for passes here.
*Postcard Gardens 2025
Applications are still open for interested community groups to design and deliver one of the small but perfectly formed gardens at this popular feature. For more information and to download an application form, visit BordBiaBloom.com. The closing date for applications is Thursday, March 6th, 2025.
