The Southport Flower Show runs in Victoria Park every August and has been doing so since 1924. It's one of England's largest horticultural shows. I'll admit that until about five years ago I regarded it as something my parents went to. Then I actually went. It's considerably better than its reputation with under-50s suggests.
What the Flower Show actually is
It's a four-day horticultural show (typically Thursday to Sunday in mid-August) with competitive flower and plant exhibits, show gardens designed by professional landscape designers, a vast shopping village with plants, garden equipment, food, and crafts, plus entertainment across multiple stages. It's much bigger than visitors expect — the Victoria Park site feels genuinely large when it's operating at full capacity.
The show gardens
The competitive show gardens are the centrepiece. Professional designers build complete garden spaces to be judged and viewed by the public. These range from traditional English gardens to contemporary, experimental designs. The quality is high — this is a nationally significant horticultural competition, not a local flower arranging contest. Give yourself time to walk around all of them properly.
The floral marquees
Inside the main marquee, competitive classes cover everything from cut flowers to vegetables to floral arrangements. The scale is impressive. There are categories for amateur growers alongside professional exhibitors, which gives the whole thing a community character alongside the spectacle.
Practical information for 2026
- →Dates: typically third or fourth week of August — check southportflowershow.co.uk for 2026 confirmed dates
- →Tickets: buy online in advance — gate prices are higher and you'll queue
- →Parking: the park itself has limited parking. Victoria Park is walkable from the town centre (15 minutes). Shuttle buses operate from designated sites.
- →What to wear: comfortable shoes — the site is large. Waterproofs if August does what August sometimes does in Lancashire.
- →Best time to arrive: morning on Thursday or Friday — the weekend days get significantly more crowded
The shopping
The retail element of the Flower Show is a genuine draw in its own right. Specialist plant nurseries, garden equipment suppliers, artisan food producers, crafts, clothing, and gifts. It's the kind of shopping that doesn't happen in the normal retail world — niche plant varieties, specialist tools, things you'd never find on a high street. Budget some time and some money for this section.
🌺The Flower Show's last day (Sunday) is when prices drop in the plant sales — exhibitors don't want to transport everything back. If you're after plants rather than the show experience, Sunday afternoon is the smart move. If you want the full show at its best, go Thursday or Friday morning.
Is it worth it?
Yes. Not because you need to be a gardener — I'm not particularly — but because it's genuinely good at what it is. The show gardens are beautiful, the scale of the event is impressive, and there's enough going on that non-horticultural family members (mine include a teenager who considers gardens irrelevant) can find something of interest. It's an event Southport should be prouder of than it sometimes is.
Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
