The Flower Festival, famously known as Feria de las Flores, stands as Medellín’s and even Colombia’s most significant cultural events. With its parades, silletas, events, and dances, both locals and foreigners take the city streets to enjoy the festivities. This year 2024, the flower festival will take place between August 2nd and August 11th.
The first Flower Festival took place on May 1, 1957, to honor the customs, values, and ancestors of the paisa culture. Over the years, this tradition has blossomed, attracting increasing participation from people all over the world as they eagerly wait every year for this unique celebration.
If you’re planning to attend the festival this year, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your experience.
Flower Festival Events by day of the week
The following are the events we think are worth considering as a foreign tourist.
Friday August 2
- Opening concert: It’s free and it will be right in front of El Obelisco (in Laureles, 10 minutes walk from Estadio Metro station). Reggaeton, Vallenato and other Folk-Colombian music. from 6pm until 1am.
- Festival de la Trova Semifinals. (Traditional singing battle). Parque de los Deseos, 6pm.
- Fondas de mi Tierra. Noon – 2am. Tickets here
Saturday August 3
- Festival de la Trova Semifinals. (Traditional singing battle). At Parque de los Deseos from 6pm.
- Silleteritos Parade. Kids dress up as silleteros and have their own parade in el Parque La Floresta at 10am
- Fondas de mi Tierra. Aeroparque Juan Pablo II, noon – 2am. Tickets here.
- Concert La Eterna, featuring Marc Anthony, Nicky Jam, Ana Gabriel, Fonseca, and more. At Atanasio Girardot Stadium from 2pm.
Sunday August 4
- Chivas and Flowers Parade. Route: La Mota Shopping Center, canalization, Carrera 70, finishing at the Mariana Pajón bike track parking area. 9am-4pm.
- Fondas de mi Tierra. Aeroparque Juan Pablo II, noon – 11pm. Tickets here
- Afronight. Free concerts celebrating our afro-cultural heritage . Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
- Gospel Park concert. At Parque de los Deseos 2pm-10pm.
Monday August 5
- Colombian Night. Free concerts. Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
Tuesday August 6
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
- Tropical Night. At Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
- Free outdoor concert: Artistic and Musical Stage Carrera 70 Sur. Carrera 70, between Calle 10 and 19, Aeroparque Juan Pablo II, 7pm-midnight.
- “Fiesta Montañera” Folk music Concert. At Centro de eventos La Macarena, 6pm-3am. Tickets here
Wednesday August 7 (National Holiday)
- Parade – Avenida Primavera: Calle, Ritmos y Flores. Route: Avenida Regional – Puente de Guayaquil – Soterrado del Río – San Juan – Avenida Ferrocarril – Plaza Mayor. Starts at 3pm.
- Alternative music night. At Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
Thursday August 8
- Free outdoor concert – Artistic and Musical Stage La Floresta. Parque La Floresta, 7pm-midnight.
- Fondas de Mi Pueblo. At Parking lot Jumbo de la 65, 11am-2am.
- Son and Bolero night. At Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
Friday August 9
- Fondas de Mi Pueblo. At Parking lot Jumbo de la 65, 11am-2am.
- Tropical music concert “Gran Noche Bailable de la Feria”. Bands: La Billos Caracas Boys, Los Blancos, Orquesta de Lucho Bermúdez, Orquesta de Pacho Galán, Alkimia, La Típica R7, and Los Graduados. Plaza Mayor, 6pm-3am. Tickets here.
- Finals for the Festival de la Trova (traditional singing battle) Plaza Gardel, 6pm-1am.
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
Saturday August 10
- Fondas de Mi Pueblo. At Parking lot Jumbo de la 65, 11am-2am.
- Super Concierto de la Feria de las Flores Featuring Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond, Alejandro Fernandez and more. At Polideportivo Sur de Envigado, 7pm.
- Festival de la Trova. (singing battle) At Plaza Mayor, 6pm-2am.
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
- Antique Cars Parade. Route: Starts at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), and goes through the entrance of Circular 1 towards Carrera 66B along Avenida Bolivariana. 10am-5pm.
Sunday August 11
- Silleteros Parade: Starting at Puente de Guayaquil (Industriales Metro Station), they will parade northwards and at San Juan street will turn right (eastwards) to end at Plaza Mayor. It starts at 2:00pm. To get tickets click here
- Orchid Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, 9am-8pm.
- Fondas de Mi Pueblo. Parking lot Jumbo de la 65, 11am-2am.
(last updated July 17th 2024)
Must-Attend Events at the Flower Festival
The celebrations last around ten days, encompassing various locations within the city and occasionally extending to neighboring rural parts of the city, mostly Santa Elena (30min east of the city centre). It’s crucial to stay informed about the event schedules because by July 17th they had not fully disclose the schedule, the route of the parades nor the line up of most concerts. So, stay tune to ensure you don’t miss out on anything!
Remember that the flower festival is specifically designed for the local community, meaning that many concerts are spanish folk music. It embraces the essence of Colombian culture, particularly the proud paisa heritage. From start to finish, each event radiates with the exaltation of local folklore. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in authentic Colombian culture firsthand and up close.
The best way to understand and to plan the flower festival as a foreigner is to understand that there are four main stages and two main parades. All that on top of many other events and concerts distributed throughout the city. These are the main stages where there will be concerts, events and food-courts. Note: Once they publish the events, we’ll make sure to keep updating this information.
- Parque Cultural Nocturno in Plaza Gardel
The two main parades of the Flower Festival are the following:
Antique Cars Parade – Saturday, August 10th
The Antique Car Parade stands as one of the highly anticipated events of the Flower Festival. Covering a route spanning over 19 km, this event showcases approximately 285 classic and vintage cars manufactured between 1900 and 1987. For over 25 years, the parade has captivated car enthusiasts and people of all ages, from children to youth and adults.
Keep in mind that there are no designated seating areas available. So, bring along your folding chair and umbrella, and find the perfect spot on the streets to enjoy the parade. It starts at 9:45 am at El Colombiano newspaper and it ends at EAFIT University, below is the route (subject to last-minute changes).
Desfile de Silleteros (Silleteros Parade) August 11th
The Silleteros Parade, a highly anticipated event by the locals, stands as the centerpiece of the Flower Festival and drags thousands of people desperately looking for a spot to watch the parade. Hundreds of millions of flowers adorn saddles during this extraordinary parade. The route is will start at 2pm from Puente de Guayaquil (Industriales metro station), they will walk northwards until San Juan street where they will turn right (eastwards) until Avenida del Ferrocarril where they will turn right again (southwards) to finish in Plaza Mayor.
Curious about what a “silleta” is? A silleta is an intricate flower arrangement, often featuring elaborate images or patterns. Skilled farmers from Santa Elena meticulously create these arrangements using over 80 varieties of flowers, resulting in stunning portraits, landscapes, messages, and designs. Accompanied by marching bands, music, and traditional dances, the parade combines various traditions of the paisa culture.
Attending this particular event, which is the zenith of the entire flower festival, requires preparation for large crowds and some exposure to the sun. Normally there are two options for experiencing the parade:
- Getting at tickets for the designated seating areas. They can only be purchased through official distributors. To get tickets click here.
- Opting for a good umbrella and a folding chair to enjoy the spectacle from the streets. If this is your choice, be patient, hidrate yourself and be ready to wait long hours under the sun.
Concerts
Medellín understands the essential role of music in creating unforgettable experiences. Beyond its captivating parades, the Flower Festival presents multiple concerts across different city venues. The rhythms range from Spanish pop and vallenato to reggaeton and more.
Concerts, dates and links to secure your tickets:
Openning Free Concert
Date: August 2
Location: Centro Comercial Obelisco
Artists:Reggaeton, Vallenato and other Folk-Colombian music.
La Eterna
Date: August 3
Location: Estadio Atanasio Girardot
Artists: Marc Anthony, Nicky Jam, Ana Gabriel, Fonseca and more
Click here to buy your tickets.
Super Concierto De la Feria
Date: August 10
Location: Polideportivo Sur de Envigado
Artists: Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond, Alejandro Fernandez and more.
Click here to buy your tickets.
Fiesta Montañera
Date: August 6
Location: La Macarena
Artists: Yeison Jimenez, Hebert Vargas, Jorge Celedón and more
Click here to buy your tickets.
Orchid Exhibition at Botanical Garden
Prepare to be amazed at the Botanical Garden of Medellín’s annual orchid exhibition. The “Florecer orquídeas, naturaleza y tradiciones” (Flowering Orchids, Nature and Traditions) event will showcase an impressive collection of over 2,000 orchid species. Explore educational areas and spaces dedicated to literature and biodiversity, specially designed for children. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy nature together.
Fincas Silleteras
As we mentioned earlier, the “silletas” for the Flower Festival are crafted by skilled farmers from Santa Elena, the rural part of Medellín. This cherished tradition has been passed down through generations, with these families using their flower crops to create beautiful designs that will be proudly showcased in the parade.
One popular activity among locals and visitors is to go to Santa Elena and visit one of these farms (fincas) to have a traditional lunch and to learn about the culture behind the silleteros. If you’re interested in delving deeper into this fascinating art form, we strongly recommend either renting a motorcycle or going on a tour, as it is rather complex to do it via public transport. We recommend Turismo En Medellin, you can get in touch with them here. they have several daily departures but the english guide is always in the morning one. Overall, they help you get immerse in the experience as you learn about the different types of “silletas” and the fascinating paisa culture.
Festival de Trova
The XX National Trova Festival of Medellín is a one-of-a-kind event that embraces the local tradition of trova. It is a singing battle, which can be extremelly entretaining if you speak spanish, otherwise, it can be tremendously boring. There are three categories dedicated to children, youth, and seniors, this festival showcases the art of sung, rhymed, and improvised verses. The troubadours take center stage, creating verses to the rhythm of the music, sharing humorous anecdotes and exaggerated tales. This event offers you a perfect opportunity to experience the local artistic heritage of Medellín.
We really hope this post has been useful and look forward to seeing you during those days in our city. If you are interested in learning more about the paisa and Colombian culture we invite you to join us in our daily tours through Medellin, check out our free walking tour.
