To be held until June 7 at EXCO; Korea’s largest indoor flower expo
Daegu Metropolitan City (DMC) will host Daegu Flower Show 2026, a celebration of the restorative power of flowers and gardens and the beauty of floral art, from June 4 (Thu) to June 7 (Sun) at the East Wing of EXCO. The 2026 edition will be the largest in the event’s history, featuring 916 booths from 153 participating companies.
[Poster for Daegu Flower Show 2026]
The theme for this year’s expo, “Secret Garden,” is inspired by the themes of growth and emotional healing that dominate Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel The Secret Garden. The venue will be featuring many large flower pavilions and high-caliber artworks and comprised of several sections, including the Special Theme Pavilion, Cheongna Award Pavilion (works by 10 award-winning teams), General Pavilion (France Invitational, Traditional Korean Floral Arrangement, Youngdo Velvet, etc.), Local Government Pavilion (Gyeongsangbuk-do, International Horticulture Goyang Korea, etc.), and an event space for the Korea Cup Flower Design Contest.
The expo’s highlight, the Special Theme Pavilion, is designed by florist Kim Young-ju of Piverdie Korea as a set of three distinct spaces under a “Secret Garden: Door of Time, Forest Waltz” theme: Boundaries of Time (Part 1), which explores the blurring of boundaries between past and present; Dream Forest (Part 2), which is comprised of stone objects, peach trees and fog; and Waltz of the Flowers (Part 3), a “fairies’ home” decorated with birch trees and hanging plants. Visitors will be able to enjoy a very special garden experience through this unique pavilion.
The Cheongna Award Pavilion will feature works by 10 teams from all over the country embodying the theme for this year’s expo selected via a national contest and strict screening procedure.
The General Pavilion is comprised of many interestingly themed pavilions, of which the French Invitational is noteworthy in that it commemorates the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations. It will feature large installations designed by Frédéric Gaudette of Piverdière, a prestigious French floral academy, and several MOFs (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) on two themes that reenact the opulence of a French garden: “Big Bang Floral,” a combination of 12 panels and floral artworks; and “Echo,” an interactive space applied with digital technologies. There will also be an on-site floral arrangement demonstration.
At the Traditional Korean Floral Arrangement pavilion, Korean Cocoji Whaon will highlight the defining traits of Korean flower arranging: namely, the harmony of empty space, lines and natural presentation.
The Center for Research on Korean Floral Art will be conveying the emotional depth of traditional floral art through 20 paintings by premodern artists and contemporary floral arrangements. Due to the expo’s opening day, June 4, being designated as “Hanbok Day,” anyone dressed in traditional Korean attire will be permitted to enter the venue free of charge.
The pavilion showcasing Youngdo Velvet, a Daegu-based company, will display installations that merge floral art with textiles. Visitors will be able to see a “velvet garden” pairing the elegance of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Versailles inspired by the gardens of Italy’s Lake Como. There will also be velvet panels featuring the five traditional directional colors and Hangeul characters and a media zone.
The 21st Korea Cup Flower Design Contest, which will be held during the expo, is the most prestigious flower design competition in Korea. Bringing together some of the nation’s most talented florists, the contest will award its winner a ministerial prize from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as the opportunity to represent Korea in international competitions.
There will also be a wealth of fun activities for visitors, including guided tours, calligraphy, terrarium and flower basket-making, and hashtag/purchase confirmation giveaways.
Viewing hours are from 10 am until 6 pm (on June 7, until 5 pm). Admission is KRW 10,000 for adults and KRW 8,000 for an advance reservation. Further information on ticket purchasing and program x is available at the expo’s official website (www.flowerdaegu.kr).
Park Gi-hwan, head of DMC’s Economic Affairs Division, said, “This year, the Daegu Flower Show is in its seventeenth run. We have a cultural celebration in store for everyone that includes works by master artisans for the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, floral arrangements embodying the principles of traditional floral arrangement, and representations of the finesse of the local horticulture industry. I hope citizens can come to EXCO to feel the healing power of flowers and the profound effect that only art can have.”
