Fashion Takes Centre Stage as Grand Dahlia Show Makes a Stylish Return to Stonehenge

Stonehenge’s Grand Dahlia Show will return for its second year on Friday, 27th September.

In a new twist, the event, which runs all weekend, will celebrate the Victorian ‘fashionables of the neighbourhood’ who flocked to Stonehenge for the elegant dahlia shows that took place in the 1840s.

This year's spectacle will showcase stunning floral artistry and fashion, recreating the atmosphere of a grand day out, as our teams of florists show off their floral interpretation of Victorian fashion. 

Emily Parker, English Heritage Landscape Historian, said: "People have been visiting Stonehenge for centuries, for all sorts of reasons. A flower festival might be one of the more unexpected things to draw people to the ancient monument but, in their day, these Dahlia shows would have been really spectacular. To see them make a comeback after all this time is so exciting, and it offers us a unique opportunity for us to step back in time to the Victorian elegance and grandeur of the 1840s.” 

Dating back to the 1840s, the Stonehenge Dahlia shows were a magnet for crowds of up to 10,000 people. The Wiltshire and Devizes Gazette reported at the time, “Such a scene of gaiety was never before witnessed on Salisbury Plain… Parties of gentlemen and elegantly dressed ladies were scattered about in all directions.” This year, a free-standing Victorian skirt made of Dahlias will allow visitors to step into the shoes of a Victorian lady and pose for an elegant photo.

This year’s show will also feature the return of the giant floral trilithon and meadow, which served as the scene for at least one marriage proposal last year, along with intricate floral sculptures arranged by local flower clubs. Local members of the National Dahlia Society will showcase their blooms in a traditional flower show style, and visitors can look forward to various exciting and colourful new Dahlia exhibits.

In keeping with the tradition of the original shows, everyone is invited to cast their votes for their favourite floral "devices" or sculptures on display. Crafted by local groups and renowned floral artists like Fleurs De Villes and Sophie Powell, these artworks capture the grace and allure of the historical gatherings, as described in newspapers of the time. English Heritage will also invite the public to choose a newly cultivated dahlia for the esteemed title of 'New Hero of Stonehenge'.  And, just as Honorary Secretary of the 19th century shows John Keynes reported in The Salisbury and Winchester Journal in 1842, “a Band of Music will be in attendance” too, thanks to the Shrewton Silver Band.

A selection of cut and potted dahlias will be available for purchase from 3 pm on Sunday, 29th September. 

For more information on the Grand Stonehenge Dahlia Shows and to plan your visit, please visit: English Heritage Stonehenge Dahlia Shows