Rooted in Wales brings £3.50 festival to Merthyr Tydfil

Wales’ first dedicated floral art festival will fill Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil from 2 to 4 October 2026. Rooted in Wales is aimed at families, creatives, nature lovers and curious visitors, with adult admission costing £3.50 and entry free for under-16s.

The three-day festival will combine an exhibition of Welsh floral art with live demonstrations, talks, greenhouse sessions and children’s craft activities. According to Merthyr Tydfil Council’s event notice, sustainability and the relationship between flowers, identity and place will run through the programme.

Welsh floral art takes over Cyfarthfa Castle

The castle exhibition will feature floral installations created around Cynefin, a Welsh word translated by the organisers as “Belonging.” Participating florists are being invited to explore their connection to Wales through their choice of flowers, natural materials and design.

Entry for exhibitors is open to florists and artists who live in Wales or were born in Wales, preserving the festival’s focus on Welsh culture and place. The resulting exhibition is intended to show different interpretations of belonging rather than impose a single visual style.

Festival co-founders Kirsten Tanner and Fran Phillips said they wanted to provide a platform for Welsh floristry while encouraging more sustainable practices. The historic castle setting places those contemporary designs alongside the building and grounds that visitors can also explore during their visit.

Locally grown flowers replace single-use floral foam

Every installation and artwork will incorporate locally grown Welsh flowers and foraged natural materials. Exhibitors must also avoid single-use floral foam, a requirement that makes the sustainability theme part of how the displays are constructed rather than simply a subject for discussion.

That approach will be carried into the festival’s talks. Announced subjects include floristry, sustainability and temperate rainforests, giving visitors a chance to examine the natural environments and working methods connected with the finished displays.

Demonstrations, greenhouse sessions and children’s crafts

Live demonstrations by leading Welsh florists will show floral design in progress. Greenhouse sessions will add light-touch classes and insights into the grounds at Cyfarthfa Castle, although individual session times have not been published in the supplied event notice.

Children will have their own creative craft activities, making the programme suitable for a family visit as well as for people with a professional or artistic interest in floristry. The combination of displays and hands-on sessions means visitors can choose between viewing completed work, watching florists demonstrate their techniques and taking part in activities.

Tickets and practical details for visitors

Rooted in Wales Flower Festival runs from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October 2026 at Cyfarthfa Castle, Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8RE.

Entry to the castle and festival costs £3.50 for adults, while children under 16 enter free. Lectures cost an additional £2 per person. Visitors are welcome to explore the castle and its grounds during the day.

The council notice does not provide daily opening times, advance-booking instructions, transport guidance or accessibility information. The confirmed visitor details are therefore limited to the festival dates, venue address and published admission prices.

Source: Merthyr Tydfil Council News