WORLD FLOWER SHOW COMES TO EDINBURGH

FLEURS de Villes, the world-renowned floral show behind international blockbuster exhibitions in cities including Sydney, New York, Chicago, Miami and Toronto, has announced the fifteen Edinburgh florists who will star in the UK premiere - in Edinburgh - of its major new exhibition; Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE, along with the fifteen countries being celebrated. They are:

Scotland X KDM Event Styling & Floral Design 

Canada X Petals Flowers

United States X Flowers by Kerry

Australia X Sugarbush Flower Studio

Holland X Nikki’s Fleurs

France X Papaver

Madagascar X Flowers by Minty

China X Simpsons Florist

Japan X Quate & Co

Türkiye X Feather Grass Florals

Peru X Charmed Floristree

Argentina X Flowers for All Occasions

South Africa X Ribbons & Rose

Nepal X Petals by the Shore

India X Gillytree Studio

 

In a coup for the city, and for Scotland, the experiential flower show sensation – known as the “floral disrupters” of the floral world – has announced Edinburgh as the host city for the UK premiere of VOYAGE, which opens this month. Theshowbizlion.Com has seen a preview of the show and it’s something else. 

Now, fifteen of Edinburgh’s stars of the flower world, each of whom have been paired with an iconic country, will be bringing the exhibition’s theme of travel to life in an unmissable globe-spanning floral spectacle. 

This major new show will be staged at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for ten days, opening to the public on Friday the 15th of September and running until Sunday the 24th of September, 2023.

The fifteen Edinburgh florist extraordinaires will take inspiration from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s awe-inspiring botanical collections, with each talented florist creating fresh floral mannequins celebrating the cultures, people and heritage of the country they have been partnered with. 

 

Visitors will be taken on a fresh floral journey of discovery to experience the vibrant bazaars of Türkiye, marvel at a floral Lone Piper from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, catch a glimpse of a captivating geisha from Kyoto, Japan, and many more displays at this feast of cultural storytelling - bringing the world to Scotland through flowers like never before.

 

Set within the magnificent grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; one of the finest botanic gardens in the world, and located just a mile from the city centre, Fleurs de Villes VOYAGEwill be staged inside a beautiful marquee at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden. 

Visitors can admire a striking floral Tesla Model Y before entering the marquee to experience Fleurs de Villes’ signature famous floral mannequins, watch floral demonstrations, and enjoy refreshments from the Moët & Chandon Impérial Champagne and Glenmorangie whisky bars. 

 

The exhibition continues in the adjacent historic Inverleith House where visitors can ‘voyage’ through rainforest, safari and Paris-inspired rooms bursting with blooms, and stop by the Edinburgh Gin ‘filled with wonder’ room to sample a floral gin cocktail. Book here: fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Enhancing the VOYAGE experience further, visitors can participate in botanical-themed workshops (full schedule here) where they can make floral crowns, tablescapes and bouquets with top local florists, create a Van Gogh-inspired masterpiece, enter a thrilling world of flora and fiction with renowned author of The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan, enjoy a sensory scent experience with Scotland’s first fragrance house, or indulge in a botanical gin tasting. Workshops can be purchased as an ‘add-on’ experience when booking VOYAGE exhibition tickets at fleursdevilles.com/Edinburgh.

 

Karen Marshall, Co-founder of Fleurs de Villes said:

 

“We are thrilled to be bringing the UK premiere of VOYAGE to Edinburgh. The iconic Royal Botanic Garden is the perfect stage to showcase Edinburgh’s world-class floral talent, and to bring the global cultural storytelling of VOYAGE to life in flowers like never before through these fifteen Edinburgh florists and fifteen countries. We have been so inspired by the stories shared by fans, florists, and partners in every city Fleurs de Villes has visited across the globe these last few years, and cannot wait to welcome visitors to Edinburgh for what will be a truly unmissable experience.”

 

Kari Coghill, Director of Innovation Projects at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, added:

 

“As admirers of Fleurs de Villes, we are excited to be able to work together to host VOYAGE at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. This beautiful showcase of floral artistry and craftsmanship is a natural fit for the Garden, and we can’t wait for visitors to experience these stunning displays at Inverleith House, located at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden and our magnificent Living Collections.”

 

Tickets to Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE are on sale now and can be purchased at fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Tickets are priced at £22.50 for adults, £18.50 for seniors and RBGE members, and £10.50 for ages 4-17. A family discount (2 adults & 2 kids) is priced at £55. 

 

The Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE global tour will travel through the US, Canada and UK in 2023, stopping in cities including Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston and New York.

 

CELTIC LEGEND FERGUS MCCANN JOINS NEIL LENNON AT THE CELTIC STORY

CELTIC Football Club’s former Managing Director Fergus McCann joined the opening night cast of the original and inimitable The Celtic Story in Glasgow alongside former player and manager Neil Lennon and fellow Celtic legends Murdo MacLeod, Tosh McKinlay and Tom Boyd. 

Last night’s show - which marked the first in a three-week run at the SEC Armadillo - was held in support of Celtic FC Foundation. 

Theshowbizlion.Com joined Fergus, Neil and Murdo backstage. X ex Celtic Captain, Tom Boyd said: “This show just epitomises how Celtic was started.  It takes us through all the generations, highlights the emotions that come with so many things and proves that we are much bigger than a football club.  An absolutely astonishing show.”

Tosh McKinlay added: “This took me right back to my grandad’s days when he said no one could lace Jimmy McGrory’s boots, which they talked about in the show tonight, so that was absolutely fantastic. It took us right through the years, right through our years – an amazing show”.

Starring the likes of Martin Quinn, David Mackay and Kathleen McDermott, the large-scale theatre production - which charts the unique history of Celtic Football Club through the eyes of an Irish immigrant family in living in Glasgow - was also a smash hit with fans, who took to their feet to give the cast an emotional standing ovation. 

One Celtic fan said: “When you are at a show called the Celtic story, it’s hard not to think of your own Celtic Story. Every time one of those games happened or one of these moments happened it was with people you loved or people who are not here anymore, so it’s a really emotional and uplifting show.”

The Celtic Story - being produced by Regular Music and Bublico in partnership with Celtic FC - was first performed at The Pavilion Theatre by Wildcat Theatre Company in 1988 and was the very first play of its kind about a football club. 

Originally commissioned by Celtic to commemorate the Club’s Centenary Season, it was a smash hit with Celtic fans. Since then, there have been three hugely successful revivals of the production, with the last run of the show taking place over twenty years ago. 

This latest - and long overdue - revival, adapted and directed by Martin McCormack with Martin McCardie exec producing, has been updated to reflect the changing times and evolving history of the Club while still capturing the unwavering passion and commitment of the fans.  

Featuring a brand new song, Celtic Did It First, penned by songwriter Ciaran McEneny and Ken McCluskey - of Bluebells fame – which is set to become a new anthem for the Club, The Celtic Story is a funny, moving and completely gripping, it promises to be an unforgettable night at the theatre. 

Tickets are on sale now for The Celtic Story which runs from September 1 to September 16 at SEC Armadillo, Glasgow from  www.ticketmaster.com