The world’s most prestigious floral design competition heads to the UK for the very first time this September when the Interflora World Cup takes place in Manchester.

This truly is floristry like you’ve never seen it before - with over 20 competitors from countries from around the globe including the UK, South Korea, Peru, Canada and Finland battling it out to create the most elite, cutting-edge floral designs. 

Interflora World Cup in exhibition centre with booths of competitors practicing floristry

From gorgeous, giant orbs bursting with colour, to towering forests of extraordinary stems and breathtaking sculptural showstoppers - ticket holders will be treated to a truly unique experience at Manchester’s Central Hall. 

The florists will be set creative tasks to complete under strict time conditions - some known about in advance and others given as a surprise to test their speed of thought and design skills.

The UK competitor has been named as Elizabeth Newcombe of The Botanical Company in Surrey. She beat off competition from 80 of the best independent florists from up and down the UK and Ireland to be crowned ‘Interflora Florist of the Year’ at the finals at RHS Bridgewater back in July this year. 

As visitors arrive at Manchester Central, they’ll head into the Village Green, a specially created area within the impressive event space where they’ll be greeted by a whole host of hands-on creative workshops, live music, astonishing floral sculptures and artisan food and drinks stalls that will get mouths watering. 

Interflora World Cup competitor practicing floristry

They’ll be a custom, floral picture space where visitors can snap their own pictures to remember their trip to the 2023 Interflora World Cup, perfect for sharing on Instagram!

For those too eager to get a sneak peak of what to expect from the event, Interflora UK has revealed a glimpse of the very best artistic designs from the 2019 Interflora Word Cup in Philadelphia to get ticket holders excited for this year’s event. 

Click here to access the downloadable picture gallery

This year’s event is set to take place at Manchester Central on 7th - 9th September 2023 and tickets are now on sale priced at £28 for adult day entry and £10 for young adults (age 13-17). Children 12 and under go free. Streaming tickets are £15. 

This is the first time that the Interflora World Cup has been opened to the public, after over 50 years of being reserved exclusively for the industry elite. But now Manchester residents get to see entrants from 20 countries get put through their paces in six heats over three days, with a grand final on Saturday evening (9th). 

A rigorous judging process will be run by a team of 14 international judges and adjudicators managed by the International Florist Organisation, Florint. The competitors will be tested on the four key aspects of good floristry design; idea, colour, composition and technique - and the winner will walk away with a prize package including €15,000 to catapult their professional floristry career. There are 2nd and 3rd place prizes up for grabs too, with €10,000 and €5,000 awarded respectively.

Interflora World Cup competitor practicing floristry

As host nation, Interflora UK has chosen the theme of ‘Our Natural World’ as part of its commitment to sustainable practices. Competitors will be required to demonstrate their interpretation and respect for the planet, focussing on a sustainable ethos and utilising natural elements.

Speaking about the host city, Interflora’s director of florist services, Nick Priest, said: “Manchester is a vibrant, multicultural city with the most brilliant energy, which reflects the creativity and diversity of our competitors. We’re excited to bring visitors from all over the globe to discover all the city has to offer.

“The World Cup will be a real spectacle and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see floral designers at the top of their game at work. They will be creating complete works of art on an impressive scale and our tasks will provide the ultimate test of nerve and skill”.

2023 also marks Interflora’s 100th birthday and the event will form part of the brand’s centenary celebrations.

To find out more and to book tickets, visit www.interflora.co.uk/page/world-cup