Flower Festival on Madeira Island, Portugal

April 26, 2020

Home of the world-famous Cristiano Ronaldo… but not only … Portugal’s Madeira Island, nicknamed the “Island of the Flower”, is one of Portugal’ s – and indeed the world’s – must-see jewels, with the title of “World’s Best Island Destination” awarded every year since 2016 by the World Travel Awards.

Every year, at the end of April, the island organizes one of Madeira’s most important tourist events : the “festas das flores”(flower festivals). This celebration has been going on since 1954. Initially known as the “Festival of Roses”, it grew to become the “Festival of Flowers” in 1979. The festival is marked by a number of highlights, which I’ll cover in this article.

This year, due to the current pandemic, the flower festival scheduled from April 30 to May 17, 2020 will not take place. However, it has been rescheduled for September 3 to 27, 2020, at the same time as the Madeira Wine Festival. You’ll be able to admire the magnificent flowers while drinking a glass of Madeira wine, which is just the thing! 🙂

The Children’s Procession and the Wall of Hope Ceremony

One of the highlights of Madeira’s “Flower Festival” is the parade of children dressed in flowers, who make their way to the “Praça do Municipio”(Town Hall Square). On this square, in front of the town hall, the children build a wall of flowers, each placing a flower on the wall. This wall is called the “muro da esperança” (wall ofhope), because it’s an appeal for world peace, combining the purity of the children with the delicacy of the flowers. This year, the procession will move to September 5, 2020.

Young woman in flower skirt accompanying the children’s procession.

The wall of hope.

The Allegorical Procession of Flowers

The allegorical flower procession is another not-to-be-missed event. The procession is made up of hundreds of figures and floats decorated with thousands of flowers. This magnificent procession moves through the streets of Funchal in a festive atmosphere reminiscent of Brazilian carnivals, with over 1,000 dancers dressed as flowers. And, of course, the sweet scent of flowers wafts through this magnificent parade. The parade will take place on September 6, 2020.

One of the beautiful floats decorated with flowers during the Madeira festivities.

Carpets of flowers

During this beautiful festival, you can also watch and take part in the creation of splendid carpets of natural flowers in the central square of Avenida Arriaga, and admire the tropical flower exhibition at largo da Restauração. It’s all so beautiful!

Flower carpets.

The Madeira Flower Collection

The “Madeira Flower Collection” is a recent feature of the Flower Festival. It has been set up since 2019 by the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Madeira (AJEM). The aim of this event is to promote the regional fashion sector, with the participation of designers inspired by flowers to create outfits presented in a fashion show facing the sea, Praça do Povo. The show will take place on September 12 and 13, 2020, but the creations will remain on display until the end of the Flower Festival.

Madeira Flower Collection” fashion show.

The “Concertos da Flor

For music-lovers, several concerts take place during the Flower Festivals. This year, the concerts will take place from September 24 to 27, 2020.

Flower concerts.

In conclusion

Madeira is one of Portugal’s jewels. The island is overflowing with treasures, and you won’t be disappointed. A visit at Flower Festival time is a must, as it’s truly one of the island’s must-see events, attended by locals and tourists alike. Obviously, the crowds will be greater at this time of year, but the beauty of the event is well worth the effort.

And if you’d like to find out more about the various Portuguese festivals, I invite you to read the article Popular festivals in Portugal: 8 must-sees.

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