Barcelona again becomes the world capital of the rose with the 26th International New Roses Competition from 8 to 10 May 2026, to be held in the rose garden at the Parc de Cervantes.
The competition always coincides with the first rose bloom and rewards the best new specimens created by rose breeders from around the world, based on the judgements of an international jury.
© International New Roses Competition
This Barcelona competition is part of an international circuit that ensures the city's status as a key point of reference in this sector. This year's competition features 33 rose breeders from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, USA, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Holland, Poland and South Africa. The competition categories are hybrid, floribunda, landscape, groundcover, miniature and creeping.
The expert jury is made up of 70 internationally renowned specialists, who will award the best variety for each quality considered (vitality, fragrance, resistance) and for each type. A group of ten master perfume-makers will also assess the varieties in the competition to select the species that offers the best quality fragrance and provide a textual description for it.
© International New Roses Competition
Besides the international expert jury, the new roses are assessed by students from the Barcelona Institute for Sustainability and the Environment (ISMAB), the Barcelona Council for the Elderly and members of the public who visit the rose garden in the Parc de Cervantes on the competition days and can vote for the "Citizen Rose 2026". The competition opens to the public on Friday, 8 May, at 5 pm.
The programme includes parallel activities such as guided tours, workshops and family activities that turn the park into a meeting space for lovers of nature and gardening.
With this new edition, Barcelona reaffirms its role as an international leader for gardening and floral innovation in an event that combines tradition, research and public participation.
Source: Barcelona
