RHS Malvern Spring Festival, a four-day horticultural event, will kick-start the RHS Floral Show season for 2026 when it returns to Three Counties Showground, Malvern from 7 – 10 May 2026. With a packed programme that includes new features, special guest speakers, the crowning of the very first RHS-judged gardens of the year, food & drink, shopping and family fun, here are five of the top reasons to attend.
Talks and demos from expert horticulturalists and celebrity special guests
This year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival will once again host a series of talks, interactive demos and expert advice from some of the most respected names in horticulture. Expect to hear insights from one of the UK's favourite gardeners, Alan Titchmarsh CBE, who will also be joining culinary icon, Mary Berry DBE in conversation on Friday 8 May to discuss a shared passion for growing plants and visiting gardens. This is an exclusive opportunity to see two of the UK's most beloved TV personalities live on stage together, sharing a mutual appreciation and love of gardening.
On Saturday 9 May, TV presenter, broadcaster and host of BBC's Escape to the Country, Nicki Chapman, will be joined on the Festival Theatre stage by gardener Monty Don OBE. Monty will share insights and anecdotes of life at Longmeadow, his garden in Herefordshire, from which Gardeners' World has been filmed from since 2011.
© RHS Malvern
Other known faces from BBC's Gardeners' World joining the RHS Malvern Spring Festival line-up this year include Frances Tophill (Thursday 7 May), Sue Kent (Thursday 7 May) and Adam Frost (Sunday 10 May).
A new-look Kitchen Theatre will combine culinary creativity with horticultural brilliance in celebration of the theme 'Grow Your World'. Hosted by food and gardening writer, Mark Diacono, who will welcome special guests including culinary icon, Raymond Blanc OBE. Joining Raymond on stage for a cooking demo will be Garden Presenter and Head Tutor at The Raymond Blanc Gardening School at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, August Beth.
You can see the full lineup of speakers at the link here.
A seasonal showcase of new and inspiring gardens
As the days get longer and the breeze gets warmer, what better way to celebrate the joyful season of spring than a day exploring the gardens on display at the very first RHS show of 2026? This year there are over 30 sensational gardens and borders for visitors to explore.
© RHS Malvern
This year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival will feature six RHS-judged Show Gardens from emerging and established garden designers. Highlights include ONE by Midlands-based Ian McBain, Tythorne Garden Design (built by Pickwell Paving). This garden is inspired by the 8 million people living alone in the UK, encouraging visitors to rethink traditional approaches to gardening, showing how sustainable materials and unconventional construction can successfully shape small, meaningful domestic gardens which can be easily managed by those living alone. Lifted by Birds, designed by Tom Saunders, Jon Pilling and Amie Wheeldon, is a nature-rich garden designed to support British birdlife. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has supported the designers as they incorporated spaces for birds to feed, nest, rest and move safely, while also offering visitors a place to pause and notice the wildlife around them.
Further details for all show gardens are available at the link here.
Following a successful debut in 2025, the RHS-judged indoor plant gardens will demonstrate the variety of ways plants can bring beauty, joy and health benefits even when outdoor green spaces are not available. This year's show will feature four very different indoor plant garden designs, including one designed around the concept of an immersive kitchen-laboratory style garden, which takes a fascinating look at the future of food growing in domestic spaces. Designed by CANNA UK, this indoor plant garden invites visitors to rethink the role of plants indoors - not just as decorative, but as productive, edible, and integrated into daily life, blurring the lines between kitchens, gardens and laboratories.
Further detail for all indoor plant gardens are available here.
A brand-new category, Blooming Borders, will make its debut at RHS Malvern Spring Festival this year, featuring 10 individually designed borders that offer experienced and emerging garden designers the chance to express their creativity and skill in an exciting new way. Every design will be in the running for a prestigious RHS medal. Highlights include Finding Balance by Megan Dodd (Megan Dodd Studio) from Gloucestershire, a garden inspired by the designer's mother who suffers from Acoustic Neuroma – a rare, benign brain tumour that affects balance and hearing. The design explores what it means to find equilibrium again, both physically and emotionally. Reminders of Home Borders designed by Nikki Hollier (Borders in a Box) from the Midlands (and sponsored by Hughes & Co) blends nostalgic cottage-garden charm with a fresh, modern feel, inspired by childhood memories of family gardens, designed to suit a typical UK garden and to be enjoyed by everyone.
Further detail for all the new Blooming Borders can be found here.
Clay, the 'super soil', one of four new feature gardens at this year's show (designed by Cheltenham-based Martyn Wilson) will highlight the somewhat surprising benefits of clay soil, which accounts for around 25% of all British soils. Martyn's garden will be both visually inspiring in its design and usability, as well as offering practical inspiration and advice about using clay soil as an advantage.
Further detail about all feature gardens can be found here.
© RHS Malvern
There will also be eight creative gardens designed by students from primary and secondary schools, educational institutions and charities across the surrounding counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, all based around this year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival School Garden Challenge theme of 'myths and legends'.
Learn more about all the School Gardens at this year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival here.
Inspiration and advice for indoor gardeners and interior design enthusiasts
The much-loved Festival of Houseplants is back this year, inviting visitors to explore a vibrant world of indoor greenery and discover how easy, affordable and rewarding houseplants can be. Not only will visitors be able to explore RHS-judged Indoor Plant Gardens, they can also browse a stunning selection of houseplants, rare specimens and stylish accessories. A new, breathtaking display of the National Plant Collection of Platycerium spp. (staghorn fern), installed by ecologist Dr Tom Bellamy, will bring the drama of vertical planting vividly to life. The Festival of Houseplants will also host a new indoor feature garden, 'The Biophilic Blueprint' by Grow Tropicals. This is an evolution of the "Happy Houseplants" exhibit presented at the RHS Urban Show in 2024. Using three symbolic rooms, the design maps plant needs (shade, sun, humidity) to our lifestyle and emotional needs (rest, energy, ritual). The concept aims to show visitors not just where plants thrive but how they can enhance daily life. With new features and exhibitors, the Festival of Houseplants is the ultimate destination for plant lovers and interior design enthusiasts alike.
For further interior design inspiration, be sure to admire the creativity on display at the Floral Tablescaping competition. This brand-new feature (never before seen at an RHS show) celebrates the simple pleasure of flowers at a table and offers visitors exciting new ideas to inspire their own home. Five garden sheds will be individually styled by talented floral designers to transform the most ordinary and familiar of spaces into something unique and extraordinary. Each tablescape will be carefully considered by RHS judges, who will administer the very first RHS Floral Tablescaping award.
© RHS Malvern
An abundance of shopping opportunities
At the Floral Marquee, which will host over 70 of the UK's top nurseries, visitors can buy a dazzling range of plants directly from the expert growers, and seek helpful tips and advice on plant care. From camellias to fuchsias, peonies to hostas, visitors will find it all at the Floral Marquee. The Plant Village and Pavilions will host even more horticultural hoard to browse and take home. Surrounding the Plant Village, there will be stands selling everything from pots to planters, gardening tools to greenhouses.
Shopping at RHS Malvern Spring Festival couldn't be easier, with a free Plant Creche, conveniently located outside the Floral Marquee, which will take purchases off your hands while you enjoy the rest of the show. The free Porter Service will even help you carry your purchases when it's time to go.
The Food & Drink Hall is the place to pick up delicious homemade, artisan and local specialty food and drink to enjoy at the Festival or to take home, while the Shopping Halls (home to the Boffy Arts Market) are the perfect place to pick up original prints, handmade jewellery and stunning homewares. At the Three Counties Guild of Crafts area, visitors can browse a selection of gifts made by local independent crafts people from Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds. For beautiful antiques and vintage items, take a look at the treasures on offer in the Antiques Hall.
Fun activities for the whole family
For those visiting RHS Malvern Spring Festival with younger members of the family (under 16s are free of charge), there are a host of family-friendly activities for all ages to enjoy.
Step inside the Discovery Dome to get crafting with Art Studio Ross, and create your own paper art pieces from recycled materials. Get creative with Aardman Studios and have a go at making your own Gromit model in one of their three daily workshops. Create your own little snail, ladybird, hyacinth or daffodil with help from Eastnor Pottery. Build your own bird feeder, with a little help from local eco-crafters Wyldwood Willow, using only natural materials and no plastic. Or give a Circus Skills workshop a go on Saturday or Sunday with professional circus entertainer, Thomas Trilby.
Families can discover more about how our food is grown on a special double decker bus which has been converted into an interactive, travelling mobile farm. The Pony Farm Bus has been creatively reimagined by Josh and Holly Eggleton (owners of The Pony restaurant in Chew Valley) and aims to encourage people to reconnect with food origins and learn more about what we eat and where it comes from, all done through fun, hands-on activities.
For more information:
RHS Malvern
rhsmalvern.co.uk/
