The Complete Battle of Flowers Guide: How to Make the Most of It
What began as a simple flower parade through the charming streets of Jersey has become one of the island’s most breathtaking competitions. Every year, participants battle it out for the floral crown of the Battle of Flowers winner, Prix d’Honneur. A unique Jersey tradition that brings parish residents together and fosters healthy competition across the Jersey community, the Battle of Flowers adds colour, vibrancy and beauty to this already stunning Channel Island. More than just a magnificent floral parade, the Battle of Flowers is one of Jersey’s most deep-rooted traditions, celebrating the island’s history and culture. Battle of Flowers is a true testament to the community spirit on the island and the passion that islanders have for Jersey heritage.
What is the Battle of Flowers?
Battle of Flowers is an annual three-day celebration that takes place every August in Jersey. The event features floral float processions, live music and entertainment with involvement from multiple community groups and most parishes. In 2024, all twelve island parishes entered for the first time in eighteen years, with St Ouen returning with the first float since 2006 and truly bringing the island’s community together.
As the parades travel Victoria Avenue in St Helier, they are accompanied by musicians, dancers and marching bands who delight the crowds of spectators lining the streets. There are two opportunities to witness the parade, the Grand Day Parade by daylight and the Moonlight Parade the following evening by nightfall. In addition to the parades, the weekend features multiple concerts and plenty of live music, with the opportunity to see world-renowned artists and also discover local talent.
The parades are ticketed events with day tickets including access to the parade and the concert. Each day requires a separate ticket, including the third day of festivities. While tickets for parade days are available directly from Battle of Flowers, final day tickets are typically available through Jersey Opera House who organise the music event in collaboration with Battle of Flowers.
The History of Battle of Flowers
The first ‘Battle of Flowers’ took place in 1902 and began as a simple flower parade. On the 9th August 1902, the charming floral procession celebrated the coronation of Edward VII. The parade travelled along Victoria Avenue, where the parade has now returned to. As the parade flowed through the streets of Jersey, flowers were torn off the floats and thrown to spectators in the crowd. The captured flowers were grown back and the first event was so successful, the island decided to host it annually and initiated the Battle of Flowers. For a long time, Battle of Flowers included a literal battle with flowers, however, the last half a century has been a much tamer event.
During World War I, the battle took a minor hiatus for a few years before reviving in 1926. It moved from Victoria Avenue to Springfield Showground, now the home of Springfield Stadium. Although the novelty and popularity had worn off due to the hiatus, a smaller version of the event continued until World War II. With the island under German Occupation for most of this second war, the Battle took another break and did not restart until 1951. At this point, it was decided that the event could help tourism to the island which had dropped off and the revival had great success.
The following year in 1952 celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the Battle of Flowers, an event that also coincided with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This event was bigger and better than ever featuring over 100 floral floats, most of them motorised by this point. During the 1950s, the event moved back to Victoria Avenue after two decades of being held at Springfield Showground.
Throughout the 60s, the Battle became incredibly popular, attracting crowds of up to 60,000. By 1964, the tradition of physically battling with the flowers dismantled from the floats was abandoned due to the increasing crowd levels making the event rowdy.
The event was held every year up until 2020, when once again, Battle of Flowers had to take a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a two-year break, Battle of Flowers returned in 2022.
Now taking place in the second week of August, Battle of the Flowers is still an annual event that takes to the streets of Jersey with around 30,000 spectators.
Battle of Flowers Awards
While the Battle of Flowers weekend is all about community spirit and entertainment, there is no denying that it also involves a good dose of healthy competition. Multiple community groups and each parish enters floats into the competition to compete for the most prestigious award, Prix d’Honneur. Throughout the weekend, there are also a number of other incredible prizes that can be won.
Prix d’Honneur
The Prix d’Honneur is the most prestigious award at Battle of Flowers, the one that every entry is aiming to receive. The winning float of Prix d’Honneur is one that exemplifies outstanding creativity and craftsmanship to create a visual delight that impacts the judges the most. Awarded during the Grand Day Parade, this award honours the dedication and artistry of participants. In recent years, The Optimists’ Club have received the award on multiple occasions, only having their streak broken in 2023 when The Parish of St Clement stole the top title with their 1920s themed float.
Prix d’Honneur Junior
The junior edition of Battle of Flowers’ most coveted award, Prix d’Honneur is the top prize awarded to the most spectacular junior float. This award has only been introduced in recent years due to the increase in juniors participating in and entering the Battle of Flowers.
Prix d’Excellence
A distinguished accolade awarded at Jersey’s annual Battle of Flowers, Prix d’Excellence recognises the float that achieves exceptional standards in design, creativity and presentation. Second only to the prestigious Prix d’Honneur, Prix d’Excellence is considered to be the runner-up prize in the Battle of Flowers competition. This award celebrates the creativity and artistry of participants who contribute to the island’s vibrant floral parade tradition.
Prix de Merite
Another notable merit is the Prix de Merite which is considered to be third place. Although many factors are considered for the Prix de Merite, the theme has the biggest impact in the consideration for this award. Floats that celebrate island heritage or culture regularly receive this award.
Grand Prix des Fleurs
Celebrating the float that showcases the best example of true floral artistry, the Grand Prix des Fleurs considers how flowers have been used in design, creativity and craftsmanship to create an outstanding display. It is common for the winner of Prix d’Honneur to also receive this award, but not always. This award considers floral presentation exclusively, whereas Prix d’Honneur considers the overall presentation and execution, highlighting the passion of participants who continue to contribute to this rich island tradition.
Grand Prix des Paroisses
This award is given to the most outstanding award created by one of the island’s twelve parishes. It recognises how each community has come together in collaboration to contribute a float to the island’s rich tradition of the Battle of Flowers. Receiving this award is a true honour for the winning parish, celebrating the community effort.
Prix Decor
Recognising the float that showcases the best decorative artistry, the Prix Decor award celebrates the float that demonstrates the best attention to detail. The winning float is a true representation of the island’s creativity in a competition that has been an island tradition for more than a century.
Prix d’Honneur de Papier
As the name may suggest, the Prix d’Honneur de Papier award is another prestigious award at Battle of Flowers; however, this one is specifically dedicated to the most outstanding float constructed primarily from paper materials. There are many ways to craft a Battle of Flowers float, but the use of alternative materials is one that is highly recognised. It is distinguished from other awards that may focus on floral and mixed-media design by celebrating the creativity, artistry and craftsmanship of participants who utilise paper as their primary medium.
Best Illuminated
The Best Illuminated award at Jersey’s Battle of Flowers celebrates the most visually striking float during the Moonlight Parade. The Moonlight Parade showcases the same floats as the Grand Day Parade, but during this nightfall parade, entries are adorned with lights to create a dazzling nighttime spectacle. This award recognises excellence in lighting design, creativity and overall visual impact. It considers how the design, beauty and vibrancy of the float are enhanced by the illumination of the float to create the most magical and impactful visual display.
Spectators’ Award
While other awards at Battle of Flowers are determined by a judging panel, the Spectators’ Award is determined by public vote, celebrating the float that resonates most with attendees during the Grand Day Parade. It is common for the winner of the Prix d’Honneur to also receive the Spectators’ Award, but not always, as sometimes, the Prix d’Honneur winner does not resonate the same with the audience as it does with the judges.
Junior Spectators’ Award
The Junior Spectators’ Award at Jersey’s Battle of Flowers is one of the most cherished awards and is determined by the public. Celebrating the junior float that resonates most with spectators during the Grand Day Parade, this award underscores the community’s appreciation for creativity, effort and presentation in the junior category. Alongside the Prix d’Honneur Junior award, this second junior award is another more recent addition to the award lineup, recognising the talent of the younger island residents entering Battle of Flowers.
Battle of Flowers Events
Battle of Flowers Grand Day Parade
The Grand Day Parade is the highlight and main event of the Battle of Flowers celebration. The parade of vibrant and elaborately decorated floats travel along the 2.5km Victoria Avenue between St Helier and St Lawrence. This parade is the main competition in the Battle of Flowers, the opportunity for parishes to showcase their impressive floats and win the top prizes. The most prestigious award, Prix d’Honneur, is presented at the Grand Day Parade. After the parade, the floats retire for the day at Millfield Playing Fields and are available for the remainder of the day for public viewing. This allows spectators to admire the floats up close and personal, giving a helping hand to the consideration of the Spectators Awards of the weekend.
Grand Day Parade Concert
Ticket holders of the Grand Day Parade can attend a family-friendly concert in St Helier’s Lower Park after the Grand Day Parade. The concert boasts international artists gracing the stage in 2024, featuring UK Eurovision entry Sam Ryder as the headline act.
Battle of Flowers Moonlight Parade
For a second chance to see the incredible Battle of Flowers parade, the evening following the Grand Day Parade welcomes the spectacular Moonlight Parade. A nighttime extravaganza when the floats light up and embark on their tour at dusk, the Moonlight Parade is a phenomenal way to see the beauty and extravagance of the floats by nightfall. Featuring exactly the same floats as the daytime parade, the floats are now covered with thousands of coloured lights that bring a dazzling display to Victoria Avenue.
Moonlight Parade Concert
Live music also accompanies and follows the Moonlight Parade with smaller artists than the Grand Day Parade Concert, usually award-winning tribute acts. After the dazzle and spectacle of the Moonlight Parade, the event ends with exceptional live music for the grand finale.
Sunday Concert
Once the parades are over, the final day of the Battle of Flowers celebrations features yet more live music. This event is a separately ticketed event from both parades, and the Sunday Concert has become a vibrant finale to Jersey’s Battle of Flowers weekend, offering live music and entertainment to conclude the festivities.
Funfair
As part of the weekend festivities, a spectacular funfair takes over St Helier close to the concerts to entertain the whole family. Typically held in People’s Park, the funfair offers an array of exhilarating rides, challenging games and entertainment with something on offer for all ages. Contributing to the festive atmosphere, the funfair is the perfect mix of traditional fairground rides that align perfectly with the Battle of Flowers tradition, and newer attractions.
Battle of Flowers Road Closures and Suspended Parking
With the Battle of Flowers taking over St Helier for the weekend, many surrounding roads are closed, and parking may be suspended in select areas.
Traffic Closures
The following roads are closed from 9:30am-7pm on the first day and 6:15pm-midnight on the second day.
- Victoria Avenue (between the Esplanade and Bel Royal)
- Farley’s Lane
- The first First Tower spur road linking Victoria Avenue with St Aubin’s Inner Road
- La Rue du Galet
- Lower Park
- Paris Lane
- Tyneville Lane
Parking Suspension
- Laybys along Victoria Avenue are closed from the week prior to the event
- Car parks along Victoria Avenue are closed from the Wednesday prior to the event
