Dahlia Festival
The Dahlia Festival takes place from July to October 2026.
Dahlia Festival 2026 – 30th Anniversary
From July to October 2026, Morges is preparing to celebrate an exceptional event: the 30th anniversary of the Dahlia Festival!
To mark this anniversary edition, the Morges Fleur du Léman Association is preparing a floral celebration that will pay tribute to three decades of horticultural passion and expertise.
The Morges Fleur du Léman Association is proud of this wonderful adventure that has endured for 30 years thanks to the loyal support of its sponsors and partners, as well as the commitment of all those who contribute to making this unique event come alive.
Support the Festival
Morges Fleur du Léman is an association of volunteers that organises the Tulip Festival from the end of March to May and the Dahlia Festival from July to October each year.
For an annual subscription of CHF 30.00, you can become a member of the Association Morges Fleur du Léman (or CHF 50.- per couple). In return, you'll receive 10% off souvenirs at the Tulip Festival and 1 voucher for 4 tubers at the Dahlia Festival. You can register by email: info@fetedelatulipe.ch.
The association still needs hands to welcome the public during the animations, information at the chalet-boutique, sale of souvenirs, information and collection of catalogues.Maintenance of the dahlias every Wednesday from July to October, meeting at 8.30am directly at the chalet in the Blancherie. Do not hesitate to contact us by email if you are interested: info@fetedelatulipe.ch.
We are still looking for sponsors for our next editions. As a sponsor, the non-profit association Morges Fleur du Léman offers a wide range of services. You can write us an email for more information: info@fetedelatulipe.ch.
You can also make a donation to the association using the QR-code below or the following details
History of the Festival
Since 1996, the quays of Morges, between the Temple and the Parc de Vertou, have been blooming with thousands of Dahlias
The tuberous roots are bought by the association, the city employees plant them, then the volunteers take care of the maintenance of the beds.Provenance of the Dahlia
The Dahlia originated in Mexico and Central America where it was called Acocotli and Chichipatli. It was named after André Dahl, a Swedish botanist who lived from 1751 to 1789 and to whom the plant was dedicated.
Abbot Cavanilles was the first to receive this type of plant in Europe in 1788 in Madrid. After some time, he sent some specimens to the Jardin des plantes in Paris.
The interest that this plant aroused was initially culinary, as it was thought to be used as a substitute for potatoes. It soon became clear that the tubers were too pungent to be eaten.
The breeds as well as the innumerable varieties that we can admire in the gardens are derived from Dahlias coccinea, merki and variabilis.
In Morges, the public has the pleasure of being able to contemplate 73 varieties of all heights, shapes and colours.
Arrived in Morges
It was in 1996 that the Morges florist Ernest Lüthi decided to bring together various partners and launch the idea of an exhibition of dahlias on the Quai Igor Stravinsky. Since then, this event has attracted both professionals who can come and discover the technical aspects of the different varieties and the general public who can come and admire their beauty.
Planting of the Dahlia
The tuberous roots are planted in the ground from mid-April and the plants are planted from the end of May. As soon as the plants are planted, care should be taken to pinch them, remove dead flowers and tie them up. Routine care such as spraying, weeding and watering should be given special attention.