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Ooty Flower Show and Summer Festival
A hill garden rolls out a carpet of flowers while the plains swelter in May
The Ooty Flower Show runs for about ten days in mid to late May at the Government Botanical Garden in Ooty (Udhagamandalam), and it is the centre of a summer festival organised by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department, with a rose show in Ooty, a vegetable show in Kotagiri and a fruit show in Coonoor in the same weeks. The show has been held since 1896. The exact dates are fixed by the Nilgiris district administration and the Horticulture Department late, sometimes only a few days before it opens; dates published earlier are provisional.
The Nilgiris district administration and the Horticulture Department fix the final dates two to three weeks before the show; earlier dates are provisional.
The legend
In early 1847 the residents of Ootacamund raised donations for a horticultural society and a public garden between two estates.
In March 1848 the gardener William McIvor arrived from Kew. The upper ground was forest, the lower a swamp, and the garden took him ten years.
In 1896 the garden held its first flower show, opened by J. H. Tremenhere, chairman of the Agricultural Society.
In 1980 the Tamil Nadu government took the show over, and a summer festival grew around it: roses, fruit, vegetables, spices, boat races.
The 128th show ran from 18 to 28 May 2026. Its theme was Tamil heritage, including the five ancient Tamil landscapes.
Customs
Floral figures
Whole structures are built of flowers: in 2026 there were 26, among them the Nilgiri Mountain Railway engine, the Mamallapuram temple and the Thiruvarur chariot.
A million seedlings
For the 2026 show nearly a million flower seedlings were planted around the garden, with more than 50,000 pots on display.
Rose show
At Ooty's Government Rose Garden, with over 3,000 rose varieties, towers of thousands of roses rise and rangolis are laid out in petals.
Fruit in Coonoor
In the last week of May the horticulture department holds a two-day fruit show at Sim's Park, Coonoor.
Vegetables in Kotagiri
Nehru Park in Kotagiri hosts the vegetable show, its centrepiece a map of India made of red, yellow and green capsicums.
Boats on the lake
For two days Ooty Lake hosts boat races and a pageant of decorated boats.
Words of the festival
உதகமண்டலம்
Udhagamandalam
Ooty's official name; the town stands 2,239 metres up
ஊட்டி
Ooty
the town's short name; Tamil also says Udhagai
ஒத்தக்கல்மந்து
Othakkalmandhu
the place's name in the language of the Todas, native to these hills
தொட்டபெட்டா
Doddabetta
the peak on whose lower slopes the botanical garden is terraced
True or myth
✅ True. The first subscribers paid three rupees a month for vegetables at a fair price. When that failed, the society and garden were formed.
✅ True. The trunk, about 20 million years old, stands on a pedestal in the lower garden.
❌ Myth. The first show was held back in 1896, and the Tamil Nadu government took it over in 1980.
Where to celebrate
Ooty & Coonoor
The Horticulture Department's annual flower show fills the Government Botanical Garden in May, with the vegetable show at Kotagiri and the fruit show at Sim's Park in Coonoor in the same weeks.
When it is held
The flower show always falls in May, the peak of the hill season, when the plains below are at their hottest. The opening day moves from year to year: in recent years it has opened anywhere from about 10 to 18 May, and the show itself lasts around ten days. The opening weekend is the busiest part.
Because the final order comes so late, the safest approach is to plan an Ooty trip for the second half of May, book a refundable room, and confirm once the district announces the dates on nilgiris.nic.in. For weather by month, see the best time to visit Ooty.
Where the shows are
The summer festival is spread over several gardens in the Nilgiris. The flower show is the main event; the others run on their own days in the same weeks.
Government Botanical Garden, Ooty: the flower show
The Botanical Garden was laid out from 1848 on the lower slopes of Doddabetta, in terraces over about 22 hectares. For the show it fills with floral figures, potted displays, cut flowers, flower rangoli and arrangement competitions, alongside its permanent collections, which include a fossilised tree trunk about 20 million years old.
Government Rose Garden, Ooty: the rose show
The Rose Garden on the slopes of Elk Hill was created in 1995 to mark the centenary flower show, on five curving terraces. For the rose show it builds structures of roses and lays out rangolis in petals.
Sim's Park, Coonoor: the fruit show
A two-day fruit show in the last week of May at Sim's Park, a garden opened in 1874 in a ravine below Coonoor, about 3 km from the Coonoor bus stand.
Nehru Park, Kotagiri: the vegetable show
Kotagiri's vegetable show is known for its centrepiece, a map of India made of red, yellow and green capsicums.
Ooty Lake: boats
For two days Ooty Lake hosts boat races and a pageant of decorated boats.
How to plan show week
The show draws about 150,000 visitors, into a hill town with narrow roads. Tickets are bought at the garden gate, so the hard part is not entry but a bed and the journey up.
- Book the room first
May is peak season in the Nilgiris: room prices double or triple, and beds in Ooty and Coonoor are booked out weeks ahead of show week. Coonoor is quieter and 19 km away; see where to stay.
- Arrive the day before
The ghat roads up to Ooty queue badly in May. During the show the district also brings in traffic diversions and remote parking, so allow extra time on the last stretch.
- Consider the train
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway climbs from Mettupalayam, the nearest broad-gauge station, to Coonoor and Ooty; the main railway junction is Coimbatore. See how to get to Ooty.
- Avoid the opening weekend if you can
The opening weekend is the peak of the show. If your dates are flexible, a weekday later in the show week is the easier visit.
Good to know
The Government Botanical Garden and the Government Rose Garden are two different gardens, and the rose show is held in the second. Ooty stands at about 2,240 metres: in May nights drop to about 10–12°C and showers return, so pack a warm layer and a rain jacket.
FAQ
When is the Ooty Flower Show?
Every year in May, for about ten days in mid to late May at the Government Botanical Garden. The district fixes the exact dates late, sometimes only days before opening; earlier announcements are provisional.
Where is the Ooty Flower Show held?
At the Government Botanical Garden in Ooty. The rose show is at the Government Rose Garden, the fruit show at Sim's Park in Coonoor and the vegetable show at Nehru Park in Kotagiri.
How do I get flower show tickets?
Tickets are sold at the garden gate. The harder part to plan is a room and the traffic on the hill roads.
How long has the Ooty Flower Show been running?
Since 1896, when the first show was held in the Botanical Garden. The Tamil Nadu government took it over in 1980.
Where should I stay for the flower show?
In Ooty itself if you can find a room, booked weeks ahead; otherwise in Coonoor, 19 km away and quieter, which is also where the fruit show is held.
Sources (6)
- Nilgiris District press release on the Ooty Flower Show
- Botanical Garden, Ooty: The Nilgiris District Administration
- Sim's Park, Coonoor: The Nilgiris District Administration
- Incredible India: Government Botanical Gardens, Ooty
- Government Botanical Garden, Ooty (Wikipedia)
- Government Rose Garden, Ooty (Wikipedia)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.