Kew Gardens Orchid Festival 2019: Everything you need to know
Kew Gardens' 24th annual orchid festival returns in February 2019 – this time on the theme of Colombia.
As the world’s most biodiverse country for orchids with 4,270 species, Colombia’s unparalleled biodiversity and vibrant culture is the inspiration behind Kew's must-see festival.
Taking place in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, expect to be taken on an immersive journey through the different zones of the glasshouse where you’ll encounter beautiful displays representing aspects of Colombian wildlife and culture.
There will be more than 5,700 orchids at the festival, including the exquisite Flor de Mayo (Cattleya trianae), Colombia’s national flower.
And there’s more: Colombia is famed for its wildlife diversity (boasting the greatest number of bird species of any country in the world), so to celebrate this, the central display of the festival will be a "carnival of animals" depicting a toucan in flight, a hanging sloth and a swimming turtle, all composed of stunning orchids, bromeliads and other tropical plants.
Meanwhile, a breathtaking cascade of hundreds of colourful hanging vandas will represent Colombia’s famous rainbow river, Caño Cristales. An intricate, golden floating display bursting with bright yellow orchids in the glasshouse pond will depict the legend of El Dorado, while there’ll be an enchanting forest scene complete with life-sized jaguars. To top it off, a display of hundreds of colourful butterflies will be suspended from the glasshouse ceiling.
Colombian multidisciplinary artist, Vanessa Moncayo González, will also transform the glasshouse film room with colourful Bogotá-style street-art murals. Visitors will most definitely be in for a treat.
Entry to Kew Orchid Festival: Celebrate the Colour of Colombia (9 February until 10 March 2019) is included in the standard ticket to the Gardens.
But if you really want to immerse yourself in Colombian culture, for six evenings only, you can experience a taste of Colombia after dark at Kew. "As night falls, the carnival atmosphere will be in full swing with Latin big band and tropical fusion music raising the roof of the glasshouse," reveals Kew.
Orchids After Hours will run on 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28 February 2019 from 18:00 - 21.30. Tickets for Orchids After Hours are £18 and must be bought online in advance from www.kew.org.
('You Might Also Like',)
