Each May, Chelsea in Bloom hits the streets of Chelsea. This annual event sees flower displays pop up in the streets, transforming them with colour. In this post, we take a look at Chelsea in Bloom, so you can decide whether it should be added to your list of things to do in London with your family.
All photos in this post come from Chelsea in Bloom 2025.
Chelsea in Bloom, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is London’s premier alternative floral art show that transforms the streets of Chelsea with spectacular fresh flower displays.
Timed to coincide with the annual Chelsea Flower Show, Chelsea in Bloom is an annual competition between Chelsea’s retailers, restaurants and hotels who compete to win various awards for their floral displays.
Each year a theme is chosen and an expert panel judges the various interpretations of the theme. Winners are announced at the start of the week for most awards, but the public can also vote for the award of ‘People’s Champion’, the results of which are revealed towards the end of the week.
The theme for 2025’s designs is ‘Flowers in Fashion’ and it runs from 19 to 25 May 2025.
The best thing is, because the displays are largely outside and on the exterior of buildings, it’s completely free! No tickets are required, you just need to show up in Chelsea and explore at your leisure.
A map of the installations is available here.
The installations are mainly to be found on the shops, restaurants and hotels on and around Sloane Street and the King’s Road. Some installations take the form of window displays, some are decorative flowers around the entrance and some are more elaborate sculptural displays, often playing on the nature of the store/restaurant.
In addition, there are a number of ‘central displays’, which are themed displays, often larger in scale and some of which have particular brand sponsors.
The ‘heart’ of Chelsea in Bloom is Sloane Square. The focus here is a large scale display and this is where you can pick up a map and book tours and rickshaw rides.
If you are considering visiting with children, one of the most important things to be aware of is that the streets are not pedestrianised and the displays are on shops that line busy high streets. Pavements are often very narrow, including outside those shops with popular displays. Displays are also on both sides of the streets. If you are taking children it is particularly important that they are road and street aware.
The other thing to be aware of is that, as a free event, Chelsea in Bloom is very popular. Lots of people visit to see the floral displays. If you want to avoid this being a frustrating and disappointing experience, try and visit as early as you can in the day in order to beat the crowds. If you can visit on a weekday, you are likely to find that the experience is less busy than on a weekend.
In total, expect to spend around an hour to an hour and a half looking at the various installations (more if you visit at a busy time or if you decide to stop off somewhere for food, drink or snacks).
If you visit Chelsea in Bloom with your family, let us know what your favourites were!
