Mike East revisits the Medellin Flower Festival in Colombia to discover a bigger, more ambitious event.
As the festival approaches you can feel a change in the energy level around you. Coming in for breakfast at my humble hotel and I see a transformed eating space. The tropical fruit and toasted arepas are the same, but there are glass vases on every table with lovely multi-coloured flower arrangements.
It all begins.
Opening Day of Medellin Flower Festival
The first day of the flower festival Medellin contains a range of events. There is a free concert in the evening beside the football stadium, though in a strictly chronological sense the starter event is in the Parque Botero, in the old centre of Medellin. On the first day there were three stages with artists, musicians and performance interacting with the crowds. It’s right among that artist’s oversized, fun statues.
And the flowers, you ask—play a much larger role in the next two events. Also, visited on opening day, the event at Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara), focused on theatrical presentations aimed at younger visitors. It runs from 3pm from the August 1 until August 9.
The biggest first-day event was at the centrally-placed River Parks (Parques del Rio). There was a stage for a DJ and bands, as well as wandering folkloric musicians. Tents offered local foods, displays of artisanal products and in one of the largest tents, presenters were showing the audience how the displays of flowers are created on the silleteros, the light wooden frames carried on the backs of participants. You could ask questions as they worked. There was lots to see here and it starts at 4pm on the 1 August and runs until the 7August .
Procession of the Silleteros
Events are added as the festival gets going. On the last day is the iconic procession of the silleteros, with vivid floral decorations.
How To Get to Medellin
To go to the heart of the flower-growing region, head east to the village of Santa Elena, on the way to the airport. Buses run there, though you will get a better view from the Metrocable.
Yes, it is centred on the beauty of the flowers grown in the fields around the city, but it is also a celebration of Medellin’s entry onto the world stage; this most fascinating of Latin American cities.
Medellin Colombia Festival of Flowers 2025 Programme
To discover more about the flower festival in Medellin, read our preview article of Feria de las Flores.
Things To Do in Medellin Colombia
For general information on Medellin: https://colombia.travel/en/medellin. Or you could read Mike’s Things To Do in Medellin Colombia, or A Tour of Comuna 13 Medellin Colombia.
