What's on and who is at Bloom this year?

Eva Osborne

Ireland's biggest gardening and food festival has returned to Dublin's Phoenix Park today, celebrating its 20th birthday.

Around 100,000 visitors are expected to pay a visit to the festival over its five days of garden talk, food, and live demonstrations.

So, what and who can you expect at this year's Bloom? Keep reading to find out all you need to know.

When is it on? How do I get there?

Bord Bia Bloom runs from Thursday, May 28th, until Monday, June 1st, in Phoenix Park.

The festival is open each day from 9am until 6pm.

There will be free shuttle buses every 10 minutes from 7am-7pm from Parkgate Street beside Heuston Station.

Tickets are available from €33, with two children under 16 permitted to go free with every adult ticket.

What's on?

Organisers said visitors can expect 20 headline show gardens tackling everything from biodiversity and climate action to mental health, wellbeing, and the circular economy.

This year’s standout spaces include:

• A garden to celebrate Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, featuring a tree to represent each member state;
• A sculptural garden marking Bloom’s 20th anniversary and another celebrating 90 years of Met Éireann;
• Creative balcony gardens packed with ideas for small-space living and urban wildlife;
• Health focused gardens exploring mental health care and cancer awareness;
• A ‘Celebrity Dream Garden’ inspired by Brendan Courtne;
• A garden highlighting the benefits of organic farming;
• The Super Garden winner and a vivid orange Minions garden;
• The Postcard Gardens also return, with community stories at the centre. Themes range from bees, bats and boglands to prison rehabilitation, mental health, and local connection - including a GAA club garden built around the simple ritual of sharing a cup of tea.

Alongside the returning favourites, organisers said visitors can expect new additions to the festival's line-up this year.

New additions include:

• The Meaghers 360 Wellness Village;
• A new Irish plant showcase;
• Eight first-time garden designers;
• Expanded sustainability programming and demonstrations.

What big names will be there?

Attendees can expect to see big names in the gardening and food industries at the festival, as well as the President of Ireland and the Taoiseach.

The line-up this year includes: Diarmuid Gavin; Donal Skehan; Neven Maguire, Adam Frost; Rory O’Connell, Catherine Fulvio; Brendan Courtney; Laura Dowling; and more.