Manchester will bloom into life next month as the Manchester Flower Show makes its return – and this year it will have a very special Jubilee Trail as part of the celebrations.
This year’s event will land on the same weekend as the Queen’s Jubilee, with a new celebratory trail commissioned by Manchester BID.
Visitors will be able to walk around 10 flower displays inspired by the Queen, marking her 70 years of service.
There’ll be everything from a giant floral bee to a classic red phone box bursting with blooms.
Beyond the official trail, shop windows, squares and statues will also be given botanical makeovers to mark another Manchester Flower Show.
There will also be al fresco food and drink, and plenty of activities and entertainment, at the urban take on a traditional flower show.
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The event comes from CityCo and Manchester BID and usually springs up in late spring or early summer.
This year’s event, including the Jubilee Trail, will take place over the four-day bank holiday weekend, between 2 and 5 June.
The 10 Jubilee Trail displays to look out for at the Manchester Flower Show
The Crown
This huge planter will be filled with a mix of tropical palms and jewel-like English flowers.
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You’ll find the crown-shaped structure in the Arndale outside Next, designed by Decordia.
Changing of the Guard
This new display will transport you to London without leaving St Ann’s Square.
FROG Flowers will install a display near Watches of Switzerland that will feature a Buckingham Palace guard’s hut, Trafalgar Square lions, and a very British show of red, white and blue flowers.
Queen Bee
One of the bee sculptures from the Wild in Art Bee in the City art trail has been upcycled and covered in artificial flowers for the Manchester Flower Show.
A real flower crown on the bee’s head has been designed by local florist Frog Flowers. You’ll find it upstairs in the Arndale, near Wilko.
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The Crown Jewels
A throne surrounded by fresh and dried flowers – including delphiniums, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, alliums and agapanthus – will appear at the Royal Exchange.
If you snap a photo with it, tagging @verdurefloraldesign and @royalexchangemanchester (make sure you’re following both accounts), you could win a £100 voucher to spend with Verdure Floral Design.
Queen of Pop
Heading outside the Arndale now to New Cathedral Street, which will be taken back to the 1960s for a real taste of flower power.
Step through the Pop Art arch to find planters and wheelbarrows overflowing with blooms, inspired by Andy Warhol’s portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
Horse Play
The Queen’s passion for horses will be celebrated with another display, this time a horse made of twisted willow leaping over a gate.
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Artist Sarah Hayes will also create flower-filled drinking troughs at its base – you can see it at the Cross Street End of King Street.
The Ju-bee-lee Garden
Purple is the colour of the Jubilee, but it’s also the colour that attracts bees.
So the Ju-bee-lee Garden will be filled with purple lupins, delphiniums, lavender, salvias and verbena to draw in our buzzing pals to the site on Upper King Street.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Urban Garden
St Ann’s Square will host a centrepiece of the Manchester Flower Show – an urban garden that’s both very now, and also very old.
With seven aged oak posts (one for each decade the Queen has been on the throne), cottage garden flowers, and three native trees, this garden invites you to explore its dappled shade and pretty colours.
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The Jubilee Kiosk
Making a return this year will be the Manchester Flower Show’s red telephone box, which explodes with beautiful blooms.
It’s a perfect photo opportunity down on King Street, near Deansgate.
The Commonwealth Tuk-Tuk
As a nod to the Commonwealth, a tuk-tuk nicknamed Queenie will be adorned with blue and purple flowers, grown just across the border in Cheshire.
It will appear on New Cathedral Street, near the entrance to M&S and Selfridges.
Featured image: Manchester BID
What's On
National Trust and Pokémon team up for exclusive trading card game and trail this half term
Emily Sergeant
National Trust and Pokémon have teamed up for an exclusive trading card game and immersive trail this half term.
Families are invited to National Trust sites across the UK, including here in the North West, this upcoming May half term, as a brand-new partnership has been launched with Pokémon, and it’s bringing the widely loved brand to the great outdoors through a series of Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Mega Evolution Trails.
The partnership is set to bring together the places the National Trust cares for and Pokémon’s spirit of play and discovery.
Exclusively designed for the National Trust, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails are going to be running throughout May half term at 14 National Trust places nationwide, combining ‘imaginative play’ with ‘gentle physical activity’ inspired by Mega Evolution Pokémon.
National Trust and Pokémon have teamed up for an exclusive trading card game and trail this half term / Credit: James Dobson & Annapurna Mellor (Supplied)
Each trail point features a simple physical or creative challenge inspired by different Mega Evolution Pokémon.
From showing courage and curiosity with Darkness-type Mega Gengar ex, to unleashing energy and imagination inspired by the powerful Fire‑type Mega Charizard Y ex, the trails blend imaginative play with gentle activity.
A trail sheet will help young trainers keep track of their discoveries, and at the end of the trail, explorers can celebrate their achievement together with a photo opportunity at a Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trail backdrop.
It’s hoped that it’ll help more families feel ‘welcome, confident, and curious’ about exploring the outdoors together.
Quarry Bank in Cheshire, Sizergh in Cumbria, and Speke Hall in Merseyside are the three National Trust sites in the North West where the new experience will be talking place.
The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails are exclusive to the National Trust and are included with standard National Trust admission (free for NT members).
Beyond May half term, the Mega Evolution Trails form part of a wider National Trust partnership with Pokémon, marking the first of several playful experiences for families throughout the summer holidays, kicking off in July.
Featured Image – James Dobson / National Trust (Supplied)
What's On
Manchester City turn down Old Trafford offer for FA Youth Cup final in favour of Joie Stadium
Danny Jones
Manchester City have turned down an offer from rivals Man United to hold the FA Youth Cup final at Old Trafford.
The Cityzens have instead chosen to host it themselves, only not at the Etihad Campus’ main ground, but rather the Joie Stadium.
Primarily used for City Women and the club’s EDS (elite development squad) and academy teams, the arena was formerly and simply known as The Academy Stadium, was renamed for sponsorship reasons back in 2023, and has seen several updates over the years.
Seating just a fraction of the amount possible across the city at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, the decision has disappointed many, but has been seen as a shrewd bit of gamesmanship by some, as it could effectively see any home advantage handed over to their opponents.
With this set to be the first Manchester derby FA Youth Cup in four whole decades, many supporters were hoping to go along and back their young teams in big numbers.
Proving somewhat divisive among both fan bases, with each of their under-18s squads having enjoyed promising seasons, to say the least, literally tens of thousands look set to miss out on potential tickets as a result of the announcement.
For context, the last time Man United won the coveted academy tournament – which has often served as a key first piece of silverware won by entire generations of young talent – they welcomed a record youth crowd of 67,492 in May of 2022.
In comparison, even with a sold-out stadium, the Joie would only be able to match around 10% of that figure at most.
That being said, it goes without saying that United fans have been some of the most vocal on social media following the controversial confirmation.
best two youth teams in England meeting in the FA Youth Cup final and playing them in small stadium at MCFC is such a shame. 60,000 would watch this game if it was done right.
On the day, the winning team featured the likes of now fully graduated senior stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Joe Hugill, along with several still-rising prospects.
Some of the starlets that lots of fans would have been looking forward to seeing live in a large and historic sporting arena include Jim Thwaites, Noah Ajayi, Kai Rooney, JJ Gabriel on the red half, and the likes of Kylan Midwood, Divine Mukasa, Stephen Mfuni, Reigan Heskey and more in the blue.
Head coach Oliver Reiss (who took over in July 2024) led his City side to the U18 Premier League North title at the start of this month; meanwhile, Darren Fletcher has returned to oversee his young Red Devils after a spell as caretaker manager of the men’s first team.
While tickets were expected to be snapped up rather quickly already for the all-Manc FA Youth Cup final, it’s now set to be a race for followers of both teams to get their hands on their respective allocations.
Daisy Jackson -
10th May 2022 
