New Roses Contest at the Cervantes Park Rose Garden

The aroma of rose bushes is one of the most precious treasures for rose lovers. These shrubs fill with joy those who cultivate them and those who admire them equally. Roses are a literary symbol of classic works and legendary stories such as that of Saint George and, coinciding now with the first bloom, they take center stage with the celebration of the 26th International Competition of New Roses of Barcelona, which will take place from May 8 to 10, 2026, at the Roserar of Cervantes Park.

The event rewards the best specimens created by the breeders of new rose varieties from all over the world, according to the criteria of a prestigious international jury.

The Barcelona Competition is part of the international circuit and maintains the city as a benchmark in this sector. This year, 33 breeders and hybridizers from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the United States of America, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, and South Africa are presenting to the Competition. The competing breeds are the hybrid tea, the floribunda, the landscape, the groundcover, the miniature, and the climbing.

A jury of experts

Vigor, fragrance, and resilience are the qualities valued when choosing the best new rose. An expert jury, made up of 70 internationally recognized specialists, will be responsible for distinguishing the best variety for each of the qualities to be considered, and also for each breed.

It is a meticulous process where nuances play an important role. Its staging, with experts collecting and observing any outstanding sample, is astonishing for its theatricality and delicacy. Master Perfumers are part of this unique setting. The Competition will have a group of ten experts to evaluate the varieties in competition. They will be responsible for indicating the species that presents the highest quality fragrance and, at the same time, they will provide a textual description.

The roses presented are the result of crosses achieved by expert professionals, who create unique varieties that have not yet been put on sale.

With everyone's participation

In addition to the International Expert Jury, new roses are also evaluated by the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, the Institute of Sustainability and Environment of Barcelona, and the Council of the Elderly of Barcelona, as well as by the citizens who visit the Rose Garden in Cervantes Park on the days of the Competition, who vote for the "Citizen Rose 2026".

The International New Roses Competition is an event open to both creators of new rose varieties and interested individuals.

Activities and guided tours

The Cervantes Park Rose Garden is the central venue where the award-winning roses of each edition can be admired, and it offers a space dedicated exclusively to these precious flowers.

Each year it offers a varied program of activities accessible to all, such as guided tours of the rose gardens or playful proposals linked to the world of roses.

This event was created in 2001 to promote the dissemination and projection of the Rose Garden. The Barcelona International New Roses Competition remains true to the city's long rose-growing tradition, which has its roots in the early decades of the last century. It is part of the world circuit that recognizes the best new rose varieties, thus consolidating Barcelona as a benchmark in this sector.

The Cervantes Park Rose Garden

The Cervantes Park Rose Garden is an exceptional space that stands out for its botanical, aesthetic, and educational value related to roses. Inaugurated in 1965 by architects Lluís Riudor and Joaquim Maria Casamor, the Rose Garden houses over two thousand different species and varieties of rose bushes, with a total of more than ten thousand plants distributed over an area of 4 hectares.

International recognition arrived in 2009, when the Cervantes Park Rose Garden received the Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies, in recognition of its beauty, history, and educational value.

Within the Cervantes Park Rose Garden, representative species from the entire history of roses can be admired, including collections of wild roses, old hybrids, and modern varieties. Also noteworthy are the climbing roses and the collection of the most fragrant roses, as well as a space dedicated to roses awarded in previous editions of the competition.