Flowers will be in full Bloom as Ireland enters its warmest week this year – you won’t want to miss it.
When is it on?
This year’s festival takes place over the June Bank Holiday from Thursday, May 28th to Monday, June 1st. The event will run from 9am to 6pm each day.
Where is it on?
It takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, on a 28-hectare (70-acre) site surrounding the visitor centre. This can be accessed off the park’s main Chesterfield Avenue Road, which runs from the main gate at Parkgate Street to the Castleknock gate.
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets are available on bordbiabloom.com. They are priced from €35 per adult and €30 for concessions (plus booking fee). Two children aged 16 and under can enter free with every adult ticket (additional child tickets €5, plus booking fee). Tickets can also be bought on Ticketmaster.
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What will you see?
With more than 100 of Ireland’s artisan food and drink producers in attendance, plus demonstrations, performances and workshops, there is plenty to keep everyone entertained.
As always, the showstopper will be the show gardens, designed by talented Irish and overseas designers embracing both sustainability and quality planting.
A stage dedicated to sustainable living will host sessions on subjects such as navigating ultra-processed foods and building food communities, while a garden sponsored by Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will showcase organic farming. A new addition this year is Marks & Spencer’s Where Trust Takes Root garden, designed by Scott D Renwick.
The Dunnes Stores Quality Kitchen Stage will host live cookery demonstrations by some of Ireland’s top chefs including Neven Maguire, Rory O’Connell, Eva Pau, Donal Skehan, Catherine Fulvio, Shane Smith, Aisling Larkin, Edward Hayden and Brian McDermott.
Beside the Picnic Area, Meagher’s 360° Wellness Village will host talks and expert-led panel discussions for those interested in the relationship between food, nutrition and health.
Will there be food?
If you fancy a bite after all the garden action, there will be three outdoor catering areas to try, including a barbecue section, food trucks and international picnic options. There will be three indoor restaurants too, including Garden View, where a Neven Maguire-curated three-course Taste of Bloom menu will be on offer for €85 (tickets on Ticketmaster).
The Food Village marquee and Bloom Inn will meanwhile host more than 100 artisan food and drink suppliers who’ll be selling directly to the public.
How do I get there?
By foot: It takes about 45 minutes to walk from the Parkgate Street gate to Bloom’s front entrance (Chesterfield Avenue) and about 10 minutes from the Ashtown or Cabra gates to the rear entrance (North Road). Walking from the Castleknock gate takes about 25 minutes.
Shuttle Bus: A number of shuttle buses will be running on a loop from Parkgate Street to Bloom and back from 7am to 7pm daily.
By train/Luas: If travelling by Dart or Intercity train into Connolly Station or by bus into Busáras, take the Luas Red Line at the stops outside the stations and get off at Heuston Station.
From Heuston Station, it is less than a five-minute walk to where the shuttle bus departs from Parkgate Street.
If travelling on the Luas Green Line,disembark at O’Connell St (GPO) and switch to the Red Line Luas from Abbey Street, and disembark at Heuston.
By car: Traffic coming from the city centre can use the Cabra gate via Black Horse Avenue, the Main gate to Phoenix Park and the North Circular Road gate.
Traffic coming from the northside and the M50 can use the Castleknock gate, Ashtown gate, Knockmaroon gate or the Chapelizod gate.
When entering the park, follow the signs to be guided to the nearest car park. Parking costs €10 per day and parking passes can be purchased on Ticketmaster when buying an entry ticket.
By bus: The 99 bus stops outside Áras an Uachtaráin which is a 10-minute walk from the festival.
Public buses, including routes 11, 26, 38b, 99, C5 and C6 stop on the Navan Road. It is a 15-minute walk from there to Bloom.
What’s the weather going to be like?
Met Éireann forecasts Thursday to range in temperature from 19 to 22 degrees Celsius with some cloud. Friday will be slightly cooler with temperatures from 16 to 21 degrees.
Saturday is expected to be cloudy with scattered showers, and Sunday will be dry and cloudy. Monday may have a few scattered showers in the afternoon.
