RHS Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show Preview Evening –
Fun, Flowers and Fireworks
more informal dining
options. For example,
this year guests could
pre-order a picnic
hamper to enjoy during
the evening and then
re-use for years to
come.
Always a favourite – a picnic on
Preview Evening.
he Royal Horticultural
Society celebrated the
25th Anniversary of the RHS
Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show this year. The
Show had over 600
exhibitors, was the size of
35 football pitches and had
three zones – Grow, Inspire
and Feast. It even featured a
special maze and a floral
birthday cake to celebrate
the occasion.
T
Let’s put a spotlight on the
Preview Evening, which takes
place on the Monday evening
prior to the show’s opening,
and how it has evolved over the
years.
The first Preview Evening (or
Gala Preview as it was known
then) took place in 1994 a
year after the RHS ran the
show. The event was first
designed as an opportunity for
corporate hospitality and formal
dining, with an auction at the
end. However as the event has
adapted over the years, it
became clear that guests
preferred a more ‘garden party’
atmosphere and a range of
The early years of the
Preview saw stilt
walkers, entertainers in
costume, magicians,
caricaturists, and circus acts.
The event took on a number of
themes: Venetian Masquerade,
African Safari, Tudor, Japanese
and Cuban. As the focus has
become more on the flower
show and floral exhibits, the
music has become more of an
added extra rather than the
main focus. This year’s Preview
saw a Jazz & Blues stage and a
Festival stage with guests
dancing in the sunshine.
When the event first started,
the RHS worked with a
partnership charity partly to
help with demand and ticket
sales and also to publicise the
event. Some of the charities
that RHS have worked with over
the years include Leonard
Cheshire Disa