'We ran it with our hearts rather than our heads': Shrewsbury Flower Show boss on Covid and bomb scare woes as event is cancelled

Those are the words of one of the Shrewsbury Flower Show’s organisers after the shock news that this year’s edition of the event has been cancelled.

The show, Shropshire’s flagship event of the year, was held in its first form in 1857 and has been a fixture almost every year apart from during the First and Second World Wars and the Covid pandemic.

But sadly, the 2025 show which was due to be held in the Quarry on August 8 and 9, has been cancelled. This year will mark the 150th anniversary of the show in its current form.

Organisers say the running costs have forced the move.

The show has had a turbulent few years, with the Covid pandemic forcing its cancellation in 2020 and 2021, a heatwave in 2022 causing the fireworks display to be ditched for safety reasons, and a bomb scare in 2023 resulting in thousands fleeing and the Quarry being taped off and locked down by police.