Kew Gardens is excited to bring its much-anticipated annual Orchid Festival back from Saturday, 1 February, to Sunday, 2 March. The Princess of Wales Conservatory will transform into a tropical paradise with over 3,000 exotic orchids.
This year, the festival is celebrating the breathtaking biodiversity of Peru. Visitors will be able to enjoy beautiful floral displays of stunning orchids shaped into creative shapes like alpacas, flamingos, and much more. Plus, they're excited to showcase photography by the renowned Peruvian photographer Mariano Vivanco, celebrating Peru's fascinating history and heritage. Gisella Stapleton, a talented artist from Lima, will join him, showing her bespoke murals and hand-painted pottery throughout the conservatory.
If you want to experience it differently, or can't make the daytime, there's also Orchids After Hours on select Friday and Saturday evenings. These special nights allow visitors to explore the grounds while the orchids are illuminated, enhanced by live DJ sets and Peruvian-inspired dance performances. Guests can also hear about fascinating research expeditions to Peru from Kew scientists and enjoy classic Peruvian cuisine and pisco sours.
Tickets for the Orchid Festival can be purchased here and are included with standard admission to Kew Gardens, with £1 entry available for recipients of Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Legacy Benefits, and asylum applicants.