Carnival of Flowers - Gardens by the Bay’s First Australian-themed Floral Display

Carnival of Flowers is inspired by Australia’s longest running and most famous flower show – the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers!

Venue: Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome
Dates: Till 17 Nov 2024
Admission: Tickets to Flower Dome required (compare ticket pricing here)

Step into a vibrant celebration of spring at Gardens by the Bay’s first-ever Australian-themed floral display, Carnival of Flowers! Inspired by the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, the longest-running floral show in Australia, this dazzling showcase held in collaboration with the Toowoomba Regional Council features colourful blooms including native Australian plants like kangaroo paw, grevillea, waratah, manuka, and banksia.

Native Australian Species on Display  

Toowoomba is known in Australia as the Garden City, and in tribute to its reputation, over 8,000 plants from 30 varieties feature in Gardens by the Bay’s edition of Carnival of Flowers. These include exotic-looking native Australian species like the waratah and banksia, which are making their debut at Gardens by the Bay.

Some of the unique native blooms featured in Carnival of Flowers include grevillea, which has a spider-like structure with long, nectar-rich styles replacing traditional petals, and the bottlebrush-resembling pink mulla mulla, which has cone-shaped, cylindrical flower heads densely packed with tiny, soft flowers. Meanwhile, the waratah is often compared to a pincushion because of its dome-like head of tightly-packed tubular flowers.

Visitors can also look forward to 14 different varieties of kangaroo paws – the largest selection ever on show – in uncommon hues like blue-green and purple. This whimsical plant has woolly, tubular flowers that resemble a kangaroo’s curved fingers.

A Colourful Floral Parade Display

In a nod to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flower’s annual float parade, there will be spectacular floral floats crafted from preserved flowers in the floral display.

These include a Ferris wheel more than 4m in height and a rotating carousel that breaks from tradition – the animals featured are those found on an Australian farm! 

The floral display will also be adorned with almost 400 wooden ornaments of Australian flora and fauna, such as kangaroos, echidnas, platypuses and eucalyptus leaves – jointly painted by students from Singapore’s Canberra Primary School and Toowoomba’s Rangeville State School, in a virtual collaboration.

Families will also find Aboriginal Australian art to complement the display. Aboriginal Australian art includes rock paintings, body art, dot paintings, weaving, carvings, and ceremonial poles, traditionally made with organic materials like ochre and clay pigments bound by saliva, blood, and plant gum. 

The floral display also features larger-than-life sculptures of native Australian blooms crafted from paper and other materials by Singaporean paper artist Pei Li (also known as PeiPer). This is her first exploration of Australia’s unique flora, including the Golden Wattle, the country’s national flower known for its fluffy, brush-like appearance.

Genestreaming Journey Sculpture

The 3m-tall Genestreaming Journey Sculpture is a gift to Gardens by
the Bay. Shaped like a budding flower, it features First Nations art on the inside and naturalist art on the outside, celebrating Aboriginal art from the Bunya Mountains and features field naturalist art from the Art of Nature School. It highlights connections between these two locations and Boyce Gardens Toowoomba.

This is the first time that a Genestreaming Journey Sculpture is being exhibited beyond Australian shores. So do look for the reworked sculpture created for Gardens by the Bay during your visit.

Event Details

The Carnival of Flower runs till 17 Nov 2024 from 9 am to 9 pm at the Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome. 

Admission fees to Flower Dome apply, compare pricing across different ticketing sites here. Singapore residents enjoy complimentary entry to Impressions of Monet: The Experience from Mondays to Thursdays with a Flower Dome ticket purchase.