Glasgow Botanic Gardens 27th Orchid Fair

9th-10th May 2026 @ The Kibble Palace

Scotland’s only annual orchid show and fair returns for it’s 27th year to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May, promising a botanical feast for the senses and a unique opportunity to buy unusual orchids and other tropical plants to grow at home. Held with the support of Glasgow City Council, there will also be displays of flowering tropical orchids by regional UK orchid societies.

Alan MacKenzie, Chair of the Scottish Orchid Society, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with the Gardens’ staff and the Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens to once again welcome the best UK orchid traders and visiting orchid societies. It’s always really interesting to see what orchid growers have in their collections and the quality of the plants is always outstanding.”

Alongside the orchid displays, there will be educational stands with cultural advice and information – all you need to know about these intriguing wonders of nature and how to grow them at home. Members of the Scottish Orchid Society will be on hand to answer any questions from budding orchid enthusiasts.

Orchids and rarely-available tropical plants will be on sale from highly reputable and ethical British orchid nurseries and traders, along with growing accessories and supplies. Alan adds, “We place vital emphasis on ensuring that all the plants are ethically sourced and legally imported, which sadly isn’t always the case when buying from individuals over the internet. Our focus, as orchid-lovers, is increasingly towards conservation of these plants as so many are threatened with extinction in the wild. As amateur orchid-growers, we can help in conserving orchids by making sure that none of the plants we buy are taken from wild stocks, and by cultivating and sharing our own plants through orchid societies.”

The Orchid Fair will be located in the historic Kibble Palace glasshouse within the Gardens. This beautiful glasshouse was designed built in the Victorian era on the banks of Loch Long, before it was moved to the Gardens in 1873. Following complete restoration in 2004, it now houses the National Collection of huge Australian tree ferns. Recently, BBC gardening broadcaster Monty Don described it as, “The best glasshouse experience in the world!” It certainly provides the perfect tropical backdrop for the Orchid Fair, and visitors may also visit the separate Orchid House to see what is currently flowering there.

Entry to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Orchid Fair is free of charge so why not come along for a few hours’ tropical escape, right in the heart of Glasgow’s west-end? Doors open at 10am until 5pm on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May, at 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0UE.

Please find full details of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens Orchid Fair and get in touch with the Scottish Orchid Society at https://www.scottishorchid.org/orchid-fair/