If you’re in London this week, this is your sign: run, don’t walk to Chelsea and Belgravia! The posh areas of west London are hosting their annual floral events – Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom. Thousands of flowers adorn the streets in large scale displays and smaller arrangements. Shops and restaurants in that area decorated their displays with elaborate floral exhibits. It’s a must-see! The events are free to visit. What’s not to love? And if you’re not in London this time, don’t worry – Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom will be back in 2026.

The events run in parallel with the famous Chelsea Flower Show, which usually takes place in the second half of May. Going to the Chelsea Flower Show is a dream for many – myself included – but tickets for the event are far from cheap. They can be around £100 per person! Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom may not be equally spectacular, but they’re certainly worth visiting – and it won’t cost you a penny.

Chelsea in Bloom 2025

This year’s edition of Chelsea in Bloom runs between May 19th and May 25th. It is the 20th anniversary of the event! This year, Chelsea in Bloom is kept in the theme of Flowers in Fashion. How stylish! A lot of the floral installations included references to fashion icons.

Chelsea in Bloom has its official website: https://www.chelseainbloom.co.uk/. There is a map of the event, which is super useful – it helps you plan your walk around the participating area, to make sure you see all of the floral installations. It actually makes a pretty nice walk, you’ll need way more than 10 minutes to see it all. If you visit Chelsea during busy times, like I did – I went around 6pm on Tuesday – keep in mind that the area will be incredibly busy.

The whole area was bustling with life. There are many restaurants there, making Chelsea a great destination for a catchup with friends or family.

The floral displays were spectacular. Amongst the large scale installations was a giant handbag and a punk head with a colourful mohawk made of flowers. Spectacular!

The installations put together by shops and restaurants were incredible too. I particularly liked those that included indoors and outdoors elements, located on both sides of the display window. The way they smoothly blended into a cohesive scene made me forget that there was a glass pane in the middle.

In line with the event’s theme, there were many displays focused on fashion. There were a few large installations featuring elaborate evening dresses made entirely of fresh flowers. They were stunning!

Shops and restaurants which take part in Chelsea in Bloom event enter a competition, and there are two prizes up for grabs: one awarded by a panel of expert judges, and the other being a vote by the public. I wonder who the 2025 winners will be!

Belgravia in Bloom 2025

This year’s Belgravia in Bloom chose the theme of seasons. The floral installations were inspired by spring, summer, autumn and winter. The event runs from May 19th to May 26th, and – just like Chelsea in Bloom – it has an official website: https://www.belgraviavillage.com/belgravia-in-bloom.

There weren’t as many spectacular displays in Belgravia as there were in Chelsea, but those I did see were impressive. Looking for the installations in Belgravia felt a bit like a scavenger hunt. I walked around the area without a plan, and managed to find a few decorations. Belgravia was a lot less crowded than Chelsea, which made taking pictures much easier.

Even though Belgravia in Bloom is a smaller event than Chelsea in Bloom, it’s still worth visiting – it’s just a stone’s throw away from Chelsea, so why not?

The most beautiful installation in Belgravia was a large head made of plants. It looked like how I’d imagine Mother Nature herself!

Final thoughts

London is rich in things to do, including many free events that come back every year. In January, there’s the winter lights festival in Canary Wharf. In the spring, we have Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom, and my favourite festival – Lambeth Country Show. You can never be bored in London! If you don’t have a chance to visit the floral events in 2025, maybe you’ll be able to next year? They will return in 2026, most likely in the second half of May. Keep your eyes peeled, the official websites should have more details around March 2026.

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