Sanremo, in Liguria, is a city renowned in Italy as the home of the nation’s most important song festival. In addition to Italy’s most talented singers, the stage boasts floral decorations of rare beauty, as floriculture is an ancient art here, handed down for many years. And in honor of this local art, Sanremo also organizes another festival every year: the one dedicated to flowers. Sanremo in Fiore 2026 will take place from March 25th to 29th throughout the historic central quarter: with exhibitions, conferences, guided tours, floral installations, and musical and theatrical events, the city will embrace tourists in a spiral of colors and scents.
In order to reach Sanremo and its flower festival, the closest airport is…across the border. Landing in France, at Nice (NCE), you’re just 55 km away from the Ligurian city, that is less than an hour’s drive. Genoa Airport (GOA) is equally convenient, but it is 139 km away, about a 2-hour drive! You can also use the airport in the Principality of Monaco – 31 km away – but only if you have access to small private airplanes or helicopter transfers!
History of Sanremo in Fiore
The Sanremo flower festival is called Sanremo in Fiore (Sanremo in Bloom) and has been celebrated since 1904 – the year in which local flower growers had the idea of a parade of beautiful carriages and beautiful ladies adorned with flowers, so to promote their firms. The event was so successful that it was repeated for over a century, with rare interruptions (for example, from 1966 to 1980 and during the Covid years). As it “grew” along with the city and its trends, the festival evolved and today is not limited to parades and street games. Now it also involves intellectuals and the entertainment world.
Each year, a theme is chosen for the Sanremo in Fiore events, which is developed according to a specific program : conferences, guided tours, installations, art and photography exhibitions, and greenhouses displays. Even the towns near Sanremo participate with smaller but equally fascinating events.
The main attraction of the festival is the Corso in Fiore: a ring promenade along the seafront, which can accommodate up to 50,000 spectators and offers not only the beauty of the floral displays but also views of the beaches and the Ligurian sea.
Sanremo and flowers: tradition and future
With this event, Sanremo annually reminds the world of its specialty: the cultivation of flowers of all kinds. This seems incredible, given that this city was born on the sea and has always tied its fortunes to the sea.
It was one of the most important ports of the Roman Empire and, during the Middle Ages, became a maritime power, thus gathering much glory and many enemies. It was often the target of conquerors, pirates, and trade wars, and episodes of great heroism that characterized its population are not uncommon. It was only around the beginning of the 20th century that Sanremo began to turn its gaze to its hilly hinterland. Having briefly abandoned the sea to mass tourism, which by the late 19th century had already begun to promote the seaside resorts, the people of Sanremo rediscovered their ability to be good farmers. They had already imported citrus cultivation to northern Italy, in the past, but in the 1900s they began to dedicate themselves to the floriculture that would quickly become a trademark.
Today, floriculture is still the main driver of Sanremo’s fortunes. Of course, the song festival and the splendid beaches attract more domestic crowds, but the beauty of the local flowers greatly captivates foreign markets. Flowers also give rise to many activities related to the extraction of perfumes, the creation of cosmetics and herbal products, as well as innovative ideas that point to a bright future.
What to see in the city
While you wander among the festival’s flowers, take a look at Sanremo’s historical and artistic wonders.
The ancient co-cathedral of St Siro, the Orthodox church of The Holy Saviour, the baroque jewel of the Madonna della Costa Sanctuary, and the historic (and esoteric!) Hermitage of St Michael Angel are just a taste of what the city still has to offer.
You can also admire the elegant 19th-century villas that adorn the waterfront and hills, the Devachan Castle, the Ariston Theater, the Grand Hotel Londra, or the medieval ruins of Torre dell’Arma and Fort Santa Tecla. In the heart of the city are also the remains of an ancient Roman building, Villa Matutia (or “della Foce”). And of course, a visit to the Floriseum, the flower museum, is a must!
