Battle of Flores de Laredo

The Battle of Flowers transforms Laredo into a large floral workshop and culminates with a monumental float contest. Local groups design three-dimensional allegories and cover them with natural flowers before parading them along the Alameda Miramar circuit.

Date and place of celebration

The main event is held on last friday of august. The parade runs along the circuit arranged around Alameda Miramar; The day before, workshops spread throughout the town receive visitors during the Magic Night, while the flowering is completed.

View the Laredo Battle of Flores 2026 programme, whose main day will be Friday, 28 August.

The 2026 municipal agenda identifies the day as a local holiday. This working condition must be verified each year in the official calendar and does not derive by itself from tradition.

Sailor origin and history

The party was born in 1908 in Abra de Laredo. In that first celebration, 25 trawlers from the Cabildo and a gondola designed by Gonzalo Bringas Vega, called La Argentina, which won the award. The success encouraged the celebration to be moved to land the following year to facilitate popular participation.

The land route passed through Paseo de Menéndez Pelayo and other avenues before settling, since the late seventies, on Alameda Miramar. The celebration only stopped being celebrated in 1936, according to the history published by the City Council.

The flower and the construction of the floats

The carriage builders conceive the allegory, build its framework and grow a good part of the flowers. Dahlias, carnations and daisies are cut near the parade to preserve color. Municipal regulations require that the flower cover the float and establish dimensions and categories for the competition.

On the Magic Night, hundreds of collaborators fix flowers and petals on the figures against the clock. The public can approach the assembly sites and observe community work that begins many months before.

Main events and traditions

Visit to the workshops and final placement of the flowers during the Magic Night.
Ribbon cutting and start of the parade in Alameda Miramar.
Parade of floral allegories, companions, music, rocks and confetti.
Evaluation of the jury and presentation of prizes to the participating floats.
Later exhibition of the floats and musical and pyrotechnic activities of the Semana Grande.

Who participates

The City Council promotes and organises the parade through public bases. The Laredo carriage associations support artistic and agricultural work, helped by collaborators from different generations. Peñas, musicians, extras, neighbors and visitors complete a celebration conceived from its origin as a popular celebration.

Reconocimiento turístico

The Battle of Flores is recognized as a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The institutional portal of Tourism of Cantabria includes it among the national celebrations of the community and maintains the last Friday of August as the date rule.