The exhibition is the 16th edition of the shopping center’s annual floral event, presented this year as World of Flowers 2026 under the slogan “When love unites, peace blossoms.” It runs alongside the Feria de las Flores (Festival of the Flowers), the city’s flower festival held across July and August, and draws on the region’s silletero (flower-bearer) tradition of carrying flower arrangements on wooden back-frames.

Each edition is organized around a theme, and the 2026 centerpiece is peace. “The floral dove symbolizes the peace we long for throughout the world. With it, we want to convey a message of empathy and hope at a time when the world is facing so many conflicts,” María Fernanda Bertel, general manager of Centro Comercial Santa Fé Medellín, told the Spanish news agency EFE.

“The floral dove symbolizes the peace we long for throughout the world.” — María Fernanda Bertel, general manager, Centro Comercial Santa Fé Medellín

For 46 days, the 1,000-square-meter plaza holds a floral carpet of 27,000 plants carrying more than 220,000 flowers grown in eastern Antioquia. The arrangement combines petunias in fuchsia, purple, white, and red with marigolds ranging from orange to yellow.

“The species we have chosen adapt well to our square and to our infrastructure, which features retractable roofs that open in the morning and afternoon, providing the lighting conditions these flowers require,” Bertel said.

The dove is built on a metal frame and covered with white leaves made from biodegradable materials designed to resemble flowers, attached one by one to a sculpture measuring 10.5 meters high and 16.8 meters wide. According to Bertel, more than 200 people worked on World of Flowers 2026, from initial design through installation, and a team of eight gardeners maintains the display, monitoring watering and condition throughout the run.

The shopping center staged its first flower carpet in 2011. In 2025 the initiative marked its 15th anniversary and drew 3.1 million visitors to installations placed throughout the property, with a hot-air balloon as that year’s main attraction.

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga reaffirms his commitment to the silleteros and silleteras. In this way, 535 of them will update their wardrobe, marking a significant change not seen since 2017. This year, the updated attire includes pants and shirts for men, skirts, and blouses for women, as well as traditional accessories such as the cotizas, the paruma, the apron, the hat, and the kerchief. The investment was $336 million USD.

“Always remember that the Flower Fair is 100% public. The mayor’s activities are 100% public. There are more than 110 activities, and we will have the opportunity to be together again as a city. We will have our silleteros, who are the heart of this festival, who represent us, who represent those values, those customs. All our silleteros and the silleteros will wear new uniforms, all of them will wear new ones,” said Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

Under the slogan “Medellín loves you, celebrating what we are,” the program invites attendees to enjoy five major parades. Among them are the 2nd edition of Avenida Primavera and the Classic and Antique Car Parades, the Chivas and Flores Parades, and the Heroes of the Nation Parade. For its part, the iconic Silleteros Parade celebrates its 68th edition this year and will feature 535 silleteros and silleteras marching, including five children with neurodiversity.

“Every year, we are adding more people with this theme of equality, with these themes of resilience and hope. We have children with this condition in the event, and five of them will be in the parade. This is a great step forward for equality and inclusion,” said Martín Atehortúa, a silletero from Santa Elena, who thanked the district for its willingness to ensure the well-being of the parade participants.

Medellín’s “Feria de las Flores” (Flower Festival) courtesy of Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The event will take place on Sunday, August 10, the day that marks the end of the Flower Festival. Each participant will wear a black ribbon in honor of the victims of the winter storm in the metropolitan area and throughout the country. The district administration will set up 44 grandstands with a total capacity of 22,000 people per parade, each with a capacity for 500 attendees. More than 50% of these spaces will be open to the public, ensuring greater inclusion.

In addition, a special space with a capacity for 50 people with reduced mobility will once again be available. The remaining grandstands will be marketed by the bureau to flower fair sponsors and tour operators. During the 10 days, musical stages will return with artistic programming in each of the 16 communes and five districts, a way to decentralize this event. These spaces are expected to have an approximate audience of between 10,000 and 40,000 attendees per stage. On the other hand, the inaugural concert will take place on Friday, August 1st, in the Obelisco area, with renowned artists who will be adding to the evening’s musical program, such as Jorge Celedón, Fernando González, and Jessi Uribe, among others.

Also, the Parque Cultural Nocturno (Night Cultural Park) in Plaza Gardel will feature a program of high-level performances. Each night will be filled with Colombian, Afro-Colombian, and bolero music, as well as a very special moment to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Combo de las Estrellas. In addition, the Medellín National Trova Festival is now in its 19th year and will have its semifinals on August 1st and 2nd, in Parque de los Deseos.

The grand finale to select the King or Queen of Trova will be on Friday, August 8th, in Plaza Gardel. Other notable activities include: the Silleteritos Parade and Sancocho Festival in Santa Elena; the Silleteritos Parade in La Floresta; the Fair to the Rhythm of a Bike Parade; the Dog and Pet Walk; Flower Plazas; Fondas de Mi Tierra (My Land Feasts) at Juan Pablo II Airport; and Florecer: Orchids, Nature, and Traditions at the Botanical Garden; among other activities.

“We’re not just at the fair, we’re here all year round. In 2025, the sold-out stands will have the experience of visiting a silletero farm, to raise their profile and allow visitors to learn about them. We’re on the right track, and the silleteros are happy to be able to parade this year,” added Mauricio Londoño, president of the Santa Elena Silleteros Corporation (Cosse).

Finally, according to information from Colombian Immigration, between 55,000 and 60,000 international passengers are expected to arrive during the 2025 Flower Fair, of which at least 55% will be foreign visitors and non-resident Colombians.
Terminales Medellín estimates that land transportation passenger arrivals will range between 250,000 and 260,000. Furthermore, according to Cotelco, hotel occupancy could be between 77.0% and 81.0%, with an upward trend.

Above photo:Medellín’s Féria de las Flores. Photo credit: Loren Moss