Three Counties Showground bursts into bloom this May 2026 when RHS Malvern Spring Festival returns – and there are two fresh features to look forward to this year.
This year's show, which runs from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 May 2026, is themed 'Roots of the Future – Honour the past, grow the future'.
After introducing four brand-new attractions in 2025, it's adding two more for 2026 – Blooming Borders and Floral Tablescaping.
Offering 'experienced and emerging gardeners the chance to express their creativity and skill in a new way', Blooming Borders is a brand-new category in the RHS-judged Show Gardens and Indoor Plant Gardens competition. Judges will be looking for outstanding plant quality, planting schemes and imaginative ideas, with each border being in the running for a prestigious RHS medal.
The second new addition for this year's festival is Floral Tablescaping – a never-before-seen feature celebrating 'the simple pleasures of flowers at a table'. There'll be five garden sheds to explore, each individually styled by talented designers with a tablescape using fresh and dried flowers, foliage, plants and botanicals to tell a story or evoke an emotion and show how gardening can be enjoyed even without access to outdoor space. The RHS judges will consider all the displays and award the very first RHS Floral Tablescaping award.
This year's festival will also showcase a new feature garden by Cheltenham designer, Martyn Wilson, highlighting the benefits of 'super soil' clay and the plants which thrive in it, to inspire visitors and provide practical advice to take home.
The Festival of Houseplants returns for 2026, offering visitors the chance to immerse themselves in a 'treasure trove of indoor plants', including the RHS-judged Indoor Plant Gardens, interactive experiences and innovative workshops, to show how accessible and enjoyable indoor gardening can be – with a wide variety of plants available to purchase, too.
The School Garden Challenge is also back this year, encouraging primary and secondary school aged children to design and create their very own gardens at the show, with this year's theme being Myths & Legends, to spark imaginations through folklore and mythology.
Visitor favourite, the Floral Marquee, will be packed with over 70 of the UK's top nurseries – more than ever before – and as always, there's an exciting line-up of special guests, including Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don, Mary Berry and Raymond Blanc, too!
Tickets for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2026 cost from £16, with under 16s able to come along free of charge.
To book tickets, visit rhsmalvern.co.uk.
