A 14-meter balloon crowns the world’s largest living flower carpet in Medellín

Medellín, Colombia, Jul 17 (EFE).- The Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín has unveiled the 15th edition of the world’s largest living flower carpet, featuring a 14-meter-tall hot air balloon sculpture, as a prelude to the city’s upcoming Flower Festival, which begins August 1.

“We have this grand, majestic, and emblematic flower carpet, the largest living carpet in both Colombia and the world, which will be on display for 48 days in the Medellín plaza,” María Fernanda Bertel, general manager of Santafé Shopping Center, told EFE at the unveiling on Wednesday.

The plaza housing the carpet spans 1,000 square meters, with 800 square meters covered by 25,000 plants, including more than 200,000 petunias and marigolds.

All the flowers used in the installation come from various nurseries in eastern Antioquia, the department of which Medellín is the capital.

What began fifteen years ago as a tribute to the region’s silletera tradition—by showcasing “the city’s largest silleta”—has become a major tourist attraction during the Flower Festival, according to Bertel.

Silletas are wooden frames that were once used by local farmers to carry loads on their backs. Today, they serve as the base for artistic floral creations depicting scenes of everyday life.

Bertel noted that the 2024 edition of the flower carpet attracted 2.8 million visitors, including locals, Colombians from other regions, and international tourists. This year, organizers hope to surpass that figure.

Economically, the “flower season” is the second most important of the year for the shopping center’s co-owners, after December. The exhibition coincides with major citywide events such as Colombiamoda in late July and the Flower Festival in early August.

According to Bertel, the season accounts for between 27% and 30% of the annual sales for the center’s business partners.

The Journey of the Flowers

This year’s artistic theme, The Journey of the Flowers, invites visitors to Santafé to “become adventurers” and explore figures that adorned previous editions of the carpet—such as a seahorse, parrots, hummingbirds, and butterflies—now displayed throughout the shopping center, Bertel said.

For the first time, visitors can also view the flower carpet from its center and at a height of 2.8 meters by stepping into the basket of the hot air balloon that forms part of the installation. Bertel described the experience as a “gift” to Colombia and the world.

She added that this year presents an “additional challenge,” as the exhibition includes three complementary gardens in other plazas of the shopping center, showcasing “major works” from previous editions.

Although the Flower Festival runs from August 1 to 10, the floral installation at Santafé Shopping Center will remain open to the public until August 31. EFE

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EFE produced this content in collaboration with the Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín.

People observe a decorative figure at the Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín, Colombia. EFE/str

The general manager of the Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín, María Fernanda Bertel, speaks during an interview with EFE on Wednesday in Medellín, Colombia. EFE/str

Photo of a decorative figure at the Santafé Shopping Center in Medellín, Colombia. EFE/str