King Philippe and Queen Mathilde open Floraliën in Ghent
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde officially opened the 37th edition of the Floraliën Gent in Ghent on Thursday. The international flower and plant festival, themed around “Connecting”, is taking place at the ICC, the Floraliënhal and Het Kuipke.
During their visit, the royal couple toured several exhibitions and spoke with growers and participants. This year’s edition focuses on the connecting power of flowers and plants: between people and nature, between urban life and greenery, and between art and the experience of nature.
The Queen's azalea
A special moment of the visit was reserved for Queen Mathilde, who officially christened a new Ghent azalea variety named after her. The white-pink flower, developed by family business Drieghe Azalea, is the result of more than ten years of selection and crossbreeding work.
According to organisers, the variety was not originally created for the Queen, but was later named after her at the request of the Floraliën board. The azalea has since received plant breeders’ rights, comparable to a patent. While test specimens are already on display at the festival, the first plants will only go on sale in February.
The royal couple also stopped to view a monumental green heart installation illustrating the festival’s theme of “Connecting”. The artwork, made from more than 4,200 moss balls, stands over five metres high and weighs around 1.75 tonnes. Organisers said it symbolises collective effort and connectedness, having been created with the help of hundreds of participants and volunteers.
Held every four years, the Floraliën transforms several venues in Ghent into a large-scale floral exhibition featuring hundreds of thousands of flowers and plants. Around 240 growers are participating in this year’s edition, including Flemish and Walloon ornamental growers and international design teams from the United States, Romania, the Netherlands and Japan, among others.
The Floraliën will run from 1 to 10 May in Citadel Park and the wider Ghent Arts Quarter and is expected to attract around 65,000 visitors.
#FlandersNewsService | King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are pictured during a royal visit to the Floraliën flower festival in Ghent, Thursday 30 April 2026. © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
Related news
