The festivities begin on Thursday 15 April with the opening of the Flower Market in the Central Square of Avenida Arriaga, the Flower Exhibition at Largo da Restauração and the construction of delicate floral carpets along the main streets of Funchal.
On Saturday morning, thousands of youngsters will take part in the Children's Parade, each carrying a flower to place in a mural known as the "Wall of Hope", located in Praça do Município. Doves will be released to mark the end of the wall's construction and there will also be a show for the children.
Sunday brings another dazzling event: the Grand Flower Parade. Hundreds of flower-themed floats and characters will make their way through the city in lavish style to the sound of music in keeping with the Festival, displaying arrangements of many different species of flower typical to the island and leaving soft and ephemeral perfumes in their wake.
The Flower Festival, one of the Islands' most colourful celebrations, is more than just a tribute to the flowers of the Madeira Islands. It provides the opportunity to keep genuine Madeiran traditions alive and transforms the city of Funchal, for a few days, into a magnificent stage for all kinds of artistic and cultural expression.
This iconic tourist festival will be celebrated by its locals with a special feeling as this is considered to be a decisive turning point for the Archipelagos rebirth since the storm of February 20th.