Floriade or Floriat in Canberra

Thanks to the internet, we all have at least once seen the pictures of tulips in The Netherlands. They are some of the most prettiest pictures on social media. Even though I did not see the tulips when I was in The Netherlands, I did visit a festival that is hosted every year in our own Australian capital city of Canberra, that is called the Floriade. A few years ago, I visited Canberra just to see these amazing flowers and also to pat a cheetah at the Canberra National Zoo and Aquarium.

Did you know Canberra was the first city where I lived in Australia?

About Floriade..

Floriade is a flower festival celebrated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. It is a celebration of the Spring season and the festival is held every year displaying the delightful flowers with some sculptures. The festival is usually held between mid of September and mid of October.

The idea of Floriade was started by a landscape architect named Christiaan Slotemaker de Bruine. The design was commenced in the year 1986 based on the Keukenhof garden in The Netherlands. For Canberra’s 75th birthday, Floriade was started in the year 1988. It was initially started as a one off event but due to the popularity of the event, it was decided to be hosted every year.

Floriade is originated from Latin word floriat, which means to design with flowers. The festival is known as “Australia’s Celebration of Spring” by the locals.

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The Floriade flower festival is the third largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere and it attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year.

How to reach the festival?

The Floriade is conducted in Commonwealth Park in Canberra. There are three ways to get to the Commonwealth Park from Canberra Central Business District (CBD).

• Driving – The drive is just 10 minutes (around 7 kilometres) from the CBD. There are plenty of parking spaces available.

• Public transport – There are multiple buses that run between CBD and Commonwealth Park. Up-to-date information can be found on the Transport Canberra website.
  • The public transport in Canberra is not that great and is not that frequent, so ensure to check the bus routes and timings before planning to go by bus.
• Walking – This is the best way to reach the park as one can avoid all the crowd and traffic rush easily during the festival. The distance by walk between CBD and Commonwealth Park is just 2.5 kilometres, so one can walk up to the park. I walked from the CBD to the park.

Tickets and timings

Visiting Floriade is absolutely FREE. There are no entry tickets required to see the flowers. However, there are musical events and the Night Fest that are conducted during the festival and they require tickets.

The flower viewing at the festival is open between 9 AM and 6 PM during the Floriade festival.

Safety for solo female travelers

Canberra is one of the safest cities in Australia. The capital city does not have much of a crime rate and is very safe for solo female travelers. As I mentioned in the beginning of my post, I lived in Canberra for many months and it was the first city I migrated to from India. And during my stay at this city I never faced any issues. However, be cautious and know your surroundings, especially at nights as Canberra becomes very isolated and deserted at nights.

Closing Notes

Yes visiting Floriade is definitely worth it. The festival may not be as big as the one in The Netherlands, but it is a beautiful festival and brings in lot of cheerful vibes to the city during the spring season.