Floraliën Gent

The Floraliën Gent have a long and fascinating history, but the future has many beautiful things in store as well. 
 

In 1808 the Royal Society for Agriculture and Horticulture, the predecessor of the present-day Royal Society for Agriculture and Botany, the organisation behind the Floraliën Gent, was founded. One year later the society organised its first plant exhibition (salon). Until 1839 there were two salons each year. In that same year, the first five-yearly exhibition was organised, which was called “Floralies” as from 1873. That was when the fame of the Ghent horticulturalists really began to grow. The Floralies Palace was built in Citadelpark on the occasion of the 1913 world exhibition. Until 1990 these spacious halls were home to the Floraliën Gent, which then moved to Flanders Expo. The Floraliën Gent have been a dynamic, interactive city festival since 2016

Floralies 2026 is bursting with colour, scent and emotion and highlights the connecting power of flowers and plants. After all, they do more than just bewilder: they bring people together, touch hearts and create new connections, even in difficult times. Get inspired and discover how a touch of flora can strengthen the bond with your surroundings.

Would you prefer to visit Floralies Ghent with a guide? You can! Gentse Gidsen and Gandante both organise guided tours at Floralies Ghent.

Additional tip: Gentse Gidsen are also organising 'Floralies 2026! A guided tour on wheels', a tour through the Floralies for people with reduced mobility and in wheelchairs. Book your tickets for the Floralies before booking your guide. The guided tour is available in Dutch, French, English, German and Spanish with a maximum of 12 participants per group.

The Ghent Botanical Garden is also part of the flower festival. Visit the botanical garden to enjoy the beautiful combination of inspiration, innovation and nature. Home to more than 12,000 plants, the Ghent Botanical Garden is a vibrant meeting place for plant lovers, urban gardeners and curious visitors during Floralies. Head to the tropical and subtropical greenhouses to learn about the origins of coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and chocolate. You'll also discover more than 20 new plants from Flemish floriculture that illustrate how innovation, drones and AI are leading to the plants of tomorrow. Get ideas for your own garden during an inspiring walk past micro-greenhouses with the latest bedding plants. You can also get practical tips for attracting pollinators. Visit the Palmarium's lush green oasis to discover new cultivars and innovative techniques for sustainable cultivation and monitoring. The Building Biospheres installation has already been shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale and is now coming to the Ghent Botanical Garden. It explores how the natural intelligence of plants influences architecture and habitats and demonstrates how plants actively control the microclimate.

Top tip: When visiting the Ghent University Museum in May, present your Floralies ticket to receive a discounted price of €6 instead of €12.

During Floralies Ghent 2026, artists with mental or physical disabilities from care and education group De Triangel will transform Room 1c of the S.M.A.K. into a living garden of works of art. They will demonstrate how flowers can not only inspire, but also connect. The works have the same starting point: flowers and plants. This results in personal and intuitive interpretations of nature, colour and imagination, each with their own story. Together they form a whole inviting you to approach nature, art and creativity from a different angle. Three worlds come together: the rich tradition of Floralies Ghent, the contemporary art context of the S.M.A.K. and the creative power of the artists of De Triangel.

You can visit the installation free of charge from 1 to 10 May 2026 during S.M.A.K. opening hours.