The Funchal Flower Festival in Madeira
Two weeks after Easter, between early-April and early-May each year, Funchal holds its famous Flower Festival.
Being one of the island's top tourist events, if you are visiting Madeira during the festival, be sure not to miss the celebrations.
The festival begins during the week with street displays of floral designs that adorn the main thoroughfare for the duration.
Saturday sees the Children's parade that signifies hope for a peaceful future.
The grand finale comes on the Sunday when floats cascading with flowers, accompanied by colourfully costumed troops of people, make their way along the seafront promenade and back through the city to the main square.
Key Facts
The Funchal Flower Festival for 2011 is scheduled to be held from midweek starting 5th May. The main festivities taking place on Saturday, 7th May and Sunday, 8th May.
Flower arrangements adorn the lampposts and some of the minor roads and backstreets are colourfully decorated with garlands, flags and banners.
There is also a formal exhibition in a marquee erected alongside the rear of the Palácio de São Lourenço at the junction between the Avenida Arriaga and the Avenida Zarco.
| Funchal Flower Festival 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Dates, Main Event Details & Locations: | |
| Thursday, 5th May to Sunday, 8th May | Flower carpets and displays Avenida Arriaga |
| Saturday, 7th May | Children's Wall of Hope Praça do Município |
| Sunday, 8th May | Grand Parade route: Avenida do Mar Rotunda do Infante Avenida Arriaga |
| Fee | Free |
| (Details correct at July 2010) | |
Flower Festival 2011 - Provisional Dates
The provisional dates for the Funchal Festival 2011 are:
Saturday, 7th May - The Children's Wall of Hope Ceremony
Sunday, 8th May - Grand Final Parade
There are usually various smaller events held during the few days leading up to the weekend.
(Note: all scheduled events are subject to change if circumstances dictate.)
The Parades
The Children's Parade and Wall of Hope
On the Saturday morning, there is a children's procession along the Avenida Arriaga, turning into the Avenida Zarco and then onto the Praça do Município.
Each troop of children has a distinct stylised costume or youth club uniform.
Once they reach the Municipal Square, each child climbs up onto a platform and places an single bloom in a lateral display to create a Wall of Hope.
At the end of the ceremony, doves are released to represent a wish for a peaceful future.
You can expect the entire procession to last an hour or more. Entertainment for children and adults alike is also featured to round off the event.
If you want to take a photo of the Wall of Hope, it is best to wait until after the ceremonies when the crowds will clear from the square.
The Grand Finale
The grand finale of the festival is the main parade held on the Sunday afternoon.
Starting on the seafront and proceeding along the Avenida do Mar passed the Marina and the Palácio de São Lourenço, the parade is a celebration of colour, movement and sound.
Each float has a theme and is smothered with flowers. On board sound systems are not unusual and you can be sure that each will have a massed troop of costumed people accompanying it in carnival mood.
Expect each float and its entourage to take 20 to 30 minutes to pass by.
Different regions and traditions of Madeira are represented. Although, the cultural aspects can quite easily be forgotten as everybody seems intent on just enjoying themselves.
The entire parade, consisting of over a thousand participants, takes upwards of two hours to pass by.
History of the Festival
Funchal Flower Festival has its origins in the late 1950s. At this time, someone decided to hold an an exhibition in the Springtime to celebrate the diversity of flowers that grow readily on the island of Madeira.
As the years passed, the annual exhibition grew larger in scale and eventually the idea of putting on a parade through the streets of Funchal was born.
So, the two parades were inaugurated, a children's parade, symbolising hope for the future, and a main procession which demonstrated a personification of the many colourful blooms that adorn the island.
In latter years, the organisers have introduced additional features in the days leading up to the main events on the weekend. Folk dancing, shop window displays, associated concerts, and general street activity now supplements the Festival.
In April 2008, for only the second time ever, the main Sunday procession had to be postponed due to inclement weather. It was re-scheduled for the following day, Monday, 7th April beginning at the earlier time of 2:00pm.
Funchal Flower Festival Photos
Flower Carpet Designs
Children's Procession
Flower Queens on Parade
Crowds watching the grand finale
Route of the Parades
The children's parade, which follows a truncated route, starts from the Municipal Gardens, from where it follows the route of the main parade.
The main procession starts near to the Praça da Autonomia. This is the large, bland square toward the eastern end of the seafront promenade.
Whenever we have attended, their has been temporary seating erected by the Palácio de São Lourenço for the local dignitaries.
The procession then winds its way up around the Rotunda do Infante, at the foot of Santa Catarina Park, and then back along the Avenida Arriaga.
The Avenida Arriaga is the main street in Funchal. It is easily identified as it has the Toyota building and there is usually a long row of yellow taxis waiting at the lower end of the Municipal Gardens.
From this point, both processions venture along the Avenida Arriaga and turn up into the Avenida Zarco which is the location of Funchal's main Post Office. It is the road with a statue of Zarco at the crossroad, opposite the Bank of Portugal building.
The Praça do Município, where the Wall of Hope is constructed, is Funchal's main square.
The number of spectators viewing the processions is huge as both are well supported by tourists and locals alike. Unless you claim your choice spot early, you can expect a restricted view. We have found that the grass slopes at the bottom of Santa Catarina Park give a good vantage point.
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From B.M. 17th February 2010:
Thank you so much for your comprehensive notes and hints about the upcoming Flower Festival. Really helpful as I'm taking my mother to see it for the first time. We've been to Madeira many times but have always missed the Flower Festival and the information you've provided will really help.
