RHS Badminton Flower Show: What to look out for at event

The RHS Badminton Flower Show, which runs from Wednesday, July 8 to Sunday, July 12, is a new addition to the local calendar.

Making its debut in 2026, the event - which unfolds in the glorious surroundings of the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire - will see award-winning gardens combine with exhibits, floral installations, expert growers and nurseries, talks and live music.

Guest speakers at the new Royal Horticultural Society touring show include Nicki Chapman, Angela Barnes, Adam Frost, Joe Swift and Rachel de Thame.

Displays will be showcased within the Floral Marquee and Plant Village, where visitors will be able to speak to expert nursery exhibitors and buy their favourite plants.

In a nod to the setting, a series of floral horse jumps will be dotted around the showground and giant wicker shuttlecocks can be found.

In addition, there will be more than 15 wheelbarrows planted by local schools and communities with the theme of ‘Live, Love, Local’ to celebrate the area.

Visitors can also discover a host of retail opportunities and relax by the lake.

Public tickets start from £37 plus a £1.48 fee per person.

More information and tickets are available via rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-badminton-flower-show

These are the standout features to look out for at the event.

The huge show garden - with exhibit from Will Young

RHS Badminton Flower Show will feature the largest garden ever seen at an RHS show, created by designer Tom Stuart-Smith, as well as a planted exploration into the human mind designed by singer Will Young with broadcaster Jamie Butterworth.

Measuring 2,400 square metres and equivalent to nine Wimbledon tennis courts, The Julia Rausing Garden will be a celebration of the life and philanthropic work of Julia Rausing.

Creating his first exhibit at an RHS show, Mr Young - who has had a string of UK top-five hits - has collaborated with Mr Butterworth to design Out of the Shadows.

This exhibit interprets psychologist Carl Jung’s ‘shadow self’, or the part of ourselves we keep hidden from the world, through planting.

The Archers garden

A special The Archers-themed garden will be showcased at an RHS flower show for the first time at Badminton to celebrate the radio soap’s 75th anniversary this year.

Designed by Jo Thompson, The Archers 75th Anniversary Garden will bring to life one of The Archers’ most important locations, Bridge Farm.

After the soap’s 2025 storyline in which a sewage spill flooded Bridge Farm, the garden - which will not be judged - will be a hopeful front garden lovingly rebuilt after the damage.

The 12 metre by 18 metre space will include Bridge Farm’s visitor entrance and noticeboard with bunting and pots, orchard fruit trees growing within a wildflower meadow, a cheese-making area, a potting bench with branded Bridge Farm vegetable boxes and a wildlife pond.

The RHS Badminton Flower Show runs from Wednesday, July 8 to Sunday, July 12 at the Badminton Estate (Image: Supplied)

The Moulin Rouge garden

Stage show Moulin Rouge! The Musical will partner with RHS Badminton for an immersive garden experience inspired by the romance, glamour and bohemian spirit of the theatre production.

‘L’amour Vert’ - translated as ‘Green Love’ - will be a celebration of creativity, colour and storytelling.

In the centre of the garden, a windmill-topped building will house two lushly-planted scenes which depict the two main characters of the show - the Sparkling Diamond Satine and aspiring songwriter Christian.

Horticulture and theatre will collide in the partnership with botanical designer James Whiting, who will be transforming a houseplant terrarium to bring the magic of Moulin Rouge! The Musical to Badminton.

Restorative gardens

RHS Badminton Flower Show’s garden line-up celebrates the restorative impact gardening has on both people and the planet.

In the Young Designer Gardens, which celebrate new and upcoming talent, Blue Diamond Garden Centres: Where Grief Grows Quiet by Sophie Leo explores how gardens can bring peace and refuge to those experiencing grief.

Meanwhile, in a world where young girls face tremendous levels of pressure to meet unrealistic societal expectations, often through social media, young designer Sophie Sturgeon has created A Space For Her.

Other gardens at RHS Badminton include Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden from Gloucestershire’s Elle Arnett in collaboration with Artisan Landscapes.