Hampton Court to host vibrant tulip festival this month

Hampton Court Palace and Gardens in East Molesey in Surrey is set to host its annual Tulip Festival this month, starting on Monday, April 8.

For three weeks, running until April 29, the grounds of the opulent royal court once occupied by monarchs of England will be teeming with 100,000 colourful tulips and is known to be one of the UK’s “largest displays” of planted tulips.

Hampton Court will host its annual Tulip Festival for three weeks during April. (Image: Historic Royal Palaces)
Visitors will be able to find an array of historic varieties of tulip in the Lower Orangery Garden, stretching back to the 1500s, in collaboration with Hortus Bulborum in the Netherlands.

New for 2024, thousands of tulips have also been planted to spill from a Victorian horse cart in the heart of the palace courtyard, offering an Instagram-worthy backdrop to recreate the aesthetic of a Dutch flower seller’s cart.

The event will also feature displays of tulips from floating bowls in the Great Fountain, along with a backdrop of 10,000 bulbs planted in the Fountain Court of the Baroque palace.

There will be 100,000 colourful tulips on display (Image: Historic Royal Palaces)
Alongside the Tulip Festival, Hampton Court will also be hosting a Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt up until April 14, where guests will be able to explore the gardens on the hunt for hidden Lindt Gold Bunny statues, with the chance to meet a number of characters roaming the grounds.

Guests who find each of the statues will receive Lindt Gold Bunny chocolate at the end of the trail.

Rachel Mackay, Head of Hampton Court Palace, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming visitors back into our gardens at Hampton Court Palace this Spring with a whole host of events and activities for all ages to enjoy. From Lindt GOLD BUNNY hunts to glorious gardens filled with tulips, the palace really will be a sight to behold throughout the Easter holidays and beyond.”

The festival is one of the UK’s “largest displays” of planted tulips. (Image: Historic Royal Palaces)

A ticket to enter the palace and gardens costs £26.30 on weekdays and £29 on weekends for an adult, and £13.10 on weekdays and £14.50 on weekends for children.

Historic Royal Palace members and carers can enter for free and there are also concessions available for disabled visitors, students and seniors aged over 65.