Namangan - the city of flowers! This name is not just given to the city. Every street, every yard is decorated with flowers, every house grows its own flowers in special pots and flower beds. All necessary conditions are being created by the Namangan Regional Khokimiyat (Authority) for the development of floriculture in Namangan. Association of Florists was established in the city of Namangan, which has a laboratory for creating new varieties of flowers, cloning them and diversifying their species. Within the framework of this festival, special plots of land were allocated and the necessary infrastructure was created. Florists from Namangan grow more than a thousand annual, perennial and other types of flowers in greenhouses here. As part of the "Flower Festival - 2024", the festivities will take place in the "Valley of Legends" which has become the touristic complex center of Namangan, the unique theme park, the only one in Central Asia, and the culture and recreation center named after the great poet, thinker and political figure Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. On the site of the park named after Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur.
In the 19th century there was a neighborhood called "Gulzor". Here, the inhabitants were engaged in the cultivation of flowers, production of flower drinks, nectars, various sweets and spices from flowers, and honey from flowers. Medicinal tinctures are prepared from the leaves and roots of some flower species. The fame of the neighborhood of flower growers reached Khudoyar Khan from Kokan Khan and he decided to build a madrasa here. Residents will be moved to other parts of the city and construction of buildings will begin. However, in October 1875, Russian troops entered the city of Namangan and chose the madrasa as their fortress. Now this place will be developed as a garden of the head of the uezd. After the garden was handed over to the newly established local government in 1920, a large amount of work was carried out in this place. On August 24-27, 1961, a flower exhibition was organized for the first time in the city of Namangan, and it became a tradition as a holiday. It developed and progressed from year to year. Over the next three years, the garden, floriculture, flower festival grew to an unprecedented level. Even a flower caravan was organized. The number of annual celebrations began to increase. Also, the number of flower growers and admirers of beauty has increased. A few years ago, it was decided to hold the festivities at the end of May, when flowers are presented in their most beautiful form and flower growers can show all their art. Since 2018, "Flower Holiday" has been changed to "Flower Festival" and has gained an international status, because not only Uzbekistan, but also flower growers from neighboring countries began to ta ke part in it. In addition, this festival aroused great interest among representatives of foreign mass media and tourists who expressed their desire to participate in the festival. Thus, in 2023, the city of Namangan received tourists and media representatives from more than 30 countries of the world. This year, Namangan is celebrating the 63rd "International Flower Festival", and preparations for the holiday are in full swing. The number of people who want to participate is increasing every year, so the local authorities expand the scope of the festival by moving the festive events to nearby parks, avenues and squares. Within the framework of this holiday, more than 30 million flowers will be planted in the culture and recreation park named after Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur and the theme park of the Valley of Legends, including the flowers planted in the city of Namangan, total will be more than 40 million pieces. In this annual festival, cars, village, farm, construction and other special machines will be paraded through the central streets of Namangan city. All the vehicles and equipment (more than 300) will be decorated with natural flowers and will travel more than 10 km to Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur Park.
As part of the flower festival, the residents and guests of Namangan will be offered event programs such as an international fashion week, performances by folklore groups, an exhibition of artisans, works of art, laser, drone, illusion and talent shows, international, “Nazm and navo” and “askiya” nights, retro songs of the 80s and 90s, gastronomic festival, children's circus shows, attractions and other entertainment games will be held. The opening ceremony of the festival will be attended by government representatives, heads of local authorities, foreign guests, luminaries and mass media representatives. Experienced florists and amateur flower growers will also participate in the festival. Landscape design professionals will also be showcasing their art. Businesses and organizations that wish to participate will compete on originality of design and skill of flower arrangement.
Ekibana and bouquet masters also compete. The local government announces the candidates based on the results of the competition, and the winners of the competition are awarded with valuable prizes at the end of the festival.
The closing ceremony will be a gala concert and an award ceremony with the participation of pop stars of Uzbekistan in “Afsonalar Vodiysi” cultural and entertainment park. The festival is a major tourist event. This year, the holiday will last from May 19 to June 23. More than 3.5 million local and foreign tourists are expected to visit the city of Namangan during this period. The government of Namangan region and all official organizations are doing everything necessary to make this festival an unforgettable event for the guests and to make this festival a tourist magnet of Namangan.Department of Culture and Tourism of Namangan region several tourist routes have been developed based on the desire of the guests to visit tourist places during the festival. All hotels, restaurants, cafes, amusement parks are ready to provide quality service to visiting tourists. This festival is a celebration of peace, kindness, culture, literature, friendship and good neighborliness.
