Madeira has several events and activities of which small, medium, and large proportions that take place throughout the year. But there are some events, which are very important, both for tourism and for those who live on Madeira Island, and the flower festival is certainly one of them. Interested in finding out more? So come on!
What is the Flower Festival?
The Flower Festival is a cultural event, as well as a way of honoring the arrival of Primavera.
Madeira tradition stands out, either through the performances of folkloric groups existing on the island.
As well as the construction of spectacular floral carpets and through the entertainment with musical concerts and variety shows, an event held every spring without exception.
When will it happen?
As mentioned earlier, the Madeira Flower Festival takes place every spring, more specifically in the month of May, about 2 weeks after Easter.
The festivities last practically 1 month, almost the entire month of May, because there are many activities to be done both by those who participate as well as the organizational part.
Best places to see the parade
The festivities take place for the most part in 3 specific areas, namely Avenida do Mar, Avenida Sá Carneiro and Avenida Arriaga. Walking through these areas almost anywhere is a good place to appreciate the things that can happen there.
But most of the parades took place on the first two avenues mentioned. There are usually sizable stands to watch the event, but these are places you need to pay for.
One of the good ways to be able to watch the parades with quality will also be to arrive early to the place, to be positioned in the railings that position the limit so that the parades can do the work.
If you want to see a little further, there is a part of Parque Santa Catarina, which overlooks Avenida Sá Carneiro.
Madeira Auto Parade
This event is crazy for all car and motorcycle lovers, as Madeira literally has excellent well maintained vintage cars of virtually all ages with virtually all makes.
Regardless of not being lovers of cars and motorcycles, the reality is that this type of event arouses anyone’s curiosity for the beauty and conservation of vehicles.
Normally it takes 1 hour, but there are times it takes even longer. Normally the Madeira Auto Parade is usually distributed between the 2nd and 3rd week of May in the middle of the flower festival.
The beginning of the festival.
The origins of the Flower Festival come from the “Baile da Rosa”; a party organized in 1954 for the first time by the Ateneu Comercial do Funchal. This party had the characteristics of being a dance that symbolized the beginning of spring and included a flower exhibition/contest.
It was only in 1979 that the first official Flower Festival took place, a solution found to enhance the value of flowers as a factor in promoting tourism in Madeira.
This soon became a beautiful outdoor event available to all visitors and residents, where the creative manifestations of the Madeira people can be seen in all their splendor.
In that same year, the International Year of the Child was celebrated and the Regional Directorate of Tourism, to make the event even more dynamic, created the typical tradition of the children’s walk to Praça do Município for the children who participated to build the “Wall of Hope” there.
This activity consequently joined the traditional Flower Procession and the beautiful exhibition of flowers, artistic manifestations that remain to this day.
This is a perfect date, without a doubt, to enjoy an even more beautiful Madeira, already known for its quality nature, its in-depth culture, and the sincere hospitality of its people.
Circo da Flor
At the Flower Festival there is a circus that is sometimes performed for anyone. It consists of doing some performances with the theme of the party itself, showing acrobatic movements, dances, all to the sound of the flower party.
It can be an interesting opportunity to observe and have fun, and if you like it, recommend it to your family and friends of course.
Curiosities about the Madeira Flower Festival
Some of the fun facts about this event are:
- Most of the flowers used in the festival are from the island itself, but some come to give even more highlights to the colors;
- The Flower Procession is subdivided into 2 parts, the first with a children’s parade held normally on the first day, while the second with a main parade takes place on the following day;
- On average, more than 5000 Madeira participate in the parades, all distributed in different days and presentation groups;
- This festive event occupies between 50% and 70% of hotel accommodations, and every year it continues to increase considerably, as each passing year is gaining more popularity around the world.