The Jersey Battle of Flowers is an annual carnival held in the Channel Island of Jersey in the second Thursday of August. The festival consists of music, funfairs, dancers, majorettes and a parade of flower floats alongside various street entertainers. It was inaugurated in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The largest attendance to date is thought to be that of 1969, when 60,000 people were present. While current spectator numbers are around 20,000.
The major floats are usually produced by the parishes of Jersey.
The 'Battle' itself originally consisted of dismantling the floats to provide floral ammunition for a literal battle of flowers between participants and spectators, but this aspect has long been abandoned. Since 1989, a nighttime Moonlight Parade with the floats festooned in lights has been introduced. The Moonlight Parade ends with a large fireworks display. Recent years have seen higher turnout to the moonlight parade, which is particularly enjoyed by locals as well as tourists, as it has a great party atmosphere.
The first Battle of Flowers was held on 9 August 1902 on Victoria Avenue, Saint Helier. The event was inspired by the flower carnival of Nice, and was such a success that it became a regular event. The First World War interrupted the tradition and it was not until 1928 that the Battle was revived at Springfield where it was held until 1938. The threat of war meant the 1939 event was abandoned and it was not until 1951 that the event was revived back on Victoria Avenue, where it was held for many years on the last Thursday in July (since moved to its current date).
In 1964 the event was attended by around 50,000 people.
Prizes are awarded in numerous categories, with their names in French, for floats of different sizes and types. Listed here are the main prizes.
Winners at the 2014 Battle of Flowers included:
Prix d'Honneur: The Optimists Club 'Fire Cracker'Prix d'Excellence: St Clement’s 'The Snow Queen'Grand Prix des Paroisses: St Brelade's ‘Matryoshka’Grand Prix des Fleurs: Rob Adrian and Friends ‘Fillmore at Motor Mall’Prix de Mérite: St Saviour's ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’Prix Décor: St Saviour’s Juniors ‘Wacky Races’Spectators' Award: The Optimists Club ‘Fire Cracker’Best Illuminated Float (over 25ft): The Optimists Club ‘Fire Cracker’Best Illuminated Float (under 25ft): Adrian and Friends Juniors 'Fillmore at Motor Mall'Winners at the 2013 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: The Optimists Club ‘Beyond the Barricade’Prix d'Excellence: St Brelade’s ‘Chang’Grand Prix des Paroisses: St Clement’s ‘Elephanta’Grand Prix des Fleurs: Rob Adrian and Friends ‘Who's Who’Prix de Mérite: Friends of Galaad ‘Sweeps ‘N’ All’Prix Décor: St Saviour’s ‘Never Ending Stories’Spectators' Award: The Optimists Club ‘Beyond the Barricade’Best Illuminated Float (over 25ft): The Optimists Club ‘Beyond the Barricade’Best Illuminated Float (under 25ft): Parish of St. Peter Juniors ‘Mary Poppins'Winners at the 2012 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: The Optimists Club - "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" Prix d'Excellence: Parish of St. Clement - "Neverland"Grand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of St. Brelade - "Shangri-La"Grand Prix des Fleurs: Rob Adrian and Friends - "S-Car-Go"Prix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and Friends - "Gnomeville"Prix de Mérite: Friends of Galaad - "Jack O'Lantern"Spectators' Award: The Optimists Club - "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines"Best Illuminated Float (over 25ft): The Optimists Club - "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines"Best Illuminated Float (under 25ft): Parish of St. Peter - "The Muppet Show"Winners at the 2011 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: Parish of St. Clement - "Wonderland"Prix d'Excellence: The Optimists Club - "Wild Wild West"Grand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of GrouvilleGrand Prix des Fleurs: Rob Adrian and FriendsPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and FriendsPrix de Mérite: Friends of Gallard. Spectators Award : Parish of St.Clement - Wonderland
Winners at the 2010 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: Parish of St. Clement - "Shen Lung"Prix d'Excellence: The Optimists Club - "Showboat"Prix Decor: The Henwood EnsembleGrand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of GrouvilleGrand Prix des Fleurs: The Jersey Young Farmers ClubPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and FriendsPrix de Mérite: Parish of Grouville (Juniors)Spectators' Award: The Optimists Club - "Showboat"Winners at the 2009 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: Parish of St. Saviour - "Hanamachi"Prix d'Excellence: Parish of St. Clement - "Olympus"Grand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of Trinity - Themed on 50 years of Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustWinners at the 2008 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: The Optimists Club - "Circus"Prix d'Excellence: Saint SaviourGrand Prix des Paroisses: TrinityGrand Prix des Fleurs: Jersey Young Farmers ClubPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and FriendsPrix de Mérite: Friends of GalaadSpectators' Award: The Optimists Club - "Circus"Winners at the 2007 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: Parish of St. ClementPrix d'Excellence: The Optimists Club - "Valhalla"Grand Prix des Paroisses: TrinityGrand Prix des Fleurs: Rob, Adrian and FriendsPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and FriendsPrix de Mérite: John Le Cornu Family and FriendsWinners at the 2006 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: Parish of St. ClementPrix d'Excellence: The Optimists Club - "Shamrock Express"Grand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of TrinityGrand Prix des Fleurs: Mary Bidan and FriendsPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath and FriendsPrix de Mérite: Grouville TooWinners at the 2005 Battle included:
Prix d'Honneur: The Optimists Club - "Merry Christmas"Prix d'Excellence: Parish of St. ClementGrand Prix des Paroisses: Parish of GrouvilleGrand Prix des Fleurs: Mary Bidan and FriendsPrix d'Honneur de Papier: Peter Heath Family and FriendsPrix de Mérite: Optimists JuniorsMiss Battle of Flowers and Mr Battle
A competition to select a Miss Battle is held, each year, in the months preceding the Battle. The competition involves a set of contests held in each of the parishes. A winner is selected in each parish, and these ladies are entered into the final competition to select the year's Miss Battle of Flowers.
Miss Battle of Flowers, the overall winner of the Miss Parish contests, rides on her own specially made float. There was also formerly a Maid of Honour who rode with the Miss Battle but this has now been dropped. The tradition of having a Mr Battle to escort Miss Battle was in abeyance for a number of years, but Kyran Bracken revived the rôle in 2007, and 2008 saw Christopher Biggins occupying the role. In 2009 Marco Pierre White took the role; in 2010 it was Danny Young, and in 2011 Gareth Gates.
The table below lists some years, but is not a complete list.
