The Battle of Flowers looks set to return to Victoria Avenue next year as a free event, after plans were backed by a large majority of association members last night.
Attendees at the Battle of Flowers Association annual general meeting heard that the down-sized 2025 event, which was moved at relatively short notice onto a route around St Helier, had proved popular and resulted in a small financial surplus.
But Martyn Maguire, who was re-elected to the role of Battle chairman having taken the position this year in the wake of massive financial losses in 2023 and 2024, said that reverting to the Avenue offered several advantages.
He told the meeting that the ambition was to maintain the “intimate” atmosphere of the town parade while benefitting from the advantages of Victoria Avenue.
Mr Maguire said: “This year’s route showed us that while Battle was good for town, that didn’t mean town was good for Battle.”
He explained that a switch back to the Avenue would mean fewer logistical challenges in terms of closing town centre roads, as well as alleviating health and safety concerns and reducing the numbers of marshals required.
The proposed Avenue route would be a one-way stretch of just under a mile, using the “sea-side” carriageway, with floats parading eastwards in the Friday afternoon parade, spending the night at West Park and then returning to Millbrook during Saturday’s Moonlight Parade.
We cannot go back now and charge people – having put on a free event this year, we’ve proved we can do it within the budget, even leaving us a surplus, so there’s no reason why we can’t do that on Victoria Avenue
Martyn Maguire, chair of the Battle of Flowers Association
Concessions stalls and corporate hospitality seating, earning revenue for the event, would be sited in lay-bys on the Avenue while spectators would use the northern carriageway, directly opposite the parade route, as a vantage point along the length of the 1,400-metre Battle arena.
Mr Maguire said it was accepted that Battle of Flowers would remain a free event after the success of the 2025 parade, provided the government was prepared to provide continued support.
“I think everybody’s agreed, and certainly the politicians are agreed, that the starting point is that it must be free,” he said.
“We cannot go back now and charge people – having put on a free event this year, we’ve proved we can do it within the budget, even leaving us a surplus, so there’s no reason why we can’t do that on Victoria Avenue.
“Most people that have commented on the town parade have mentioned the intimate atmosphere – they felt part of it and created a carnival atmosphere, and we could do that again on Victoria Avenue.”
Public funding of £158,000 was provided this year which – augmented by a small amount of private sponsorship – enabled the association to report a surplus of around £4,000 after incurring total costs of £157,000.
Initial estimates for the total cost of a free-to-enter event for 2026 were between £200,000 and £220,000, Mr Maguire said, leaving the association seeking to raise up to £70,000 in private sponsorship, if government funding could be secured at a similar level to 2025.
Following a discussion, members voted by 42-13 in favour of the Victoria Avenue switch for 2026, subject to a positive outcome of the talks with government.
The meeting also made the decision that the maximum length of floats, which was 45 feet prior to this year, would henceforth be fixed at 35 feet.
Mr Maguire said this would help reduce costs, with most exhibitors part-funding the expense of creating their floats through local and private fund-raising efforts.
