International New Rose Competition
What is it?
The International New Rose Competition is an event open to both creators of new rose varieties and the public.
It is a highly renowned competition worldwide. The roses on display are the result of crossbreeding by expert professionals, who create unique varieties that have not yet been put on the market.
The Parc de Cervantes rose garden is the main stage where the prize-winning roses from each edition are displayed, providing a space dedicated solely to these beautiful flowers.
Each year, the competition offers a diverse programme of activities accessible to everyone, such as guided tours of the rose gardens or recreational and culinary experiences related to the world of roses.
Established in 2001 to raise awareness and visibility of the rose garden, this event always coincides with the first rose bloom and rewards the best new specimens created by rose breeders from around the world, based on the judgments of a prestigious international jury.
The Barcelona International New Rose Competition remains true to the city’s long-standing rose tradition, which dates back to the early decades of the last century. It is part of the international circuit that recognises the best new rose varieties, thereby reinforcing Barcelona as a benchmark in this field.
2024 rose competition cancelled
Due to the lack of water and uncertainty about future availability, the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens suspended certain activities planned for the 2024 International New Rose Competition.
A panel of experts was tasked with awarding the prizes for this year’s best rose specimens. On 10 May, the results of the 2024 edition were announced, featuring 82 varieties of roses (hybrid tea / grandiflora, floribunda/multiflora, landscape/shrub, ground cover, miniature and climbing roses) presented by 29 breeders from 11 different countries (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Poland).
Both the international expert jury and the competition’s standing committee, made up of professionals from the fields of gardening and rose cultivation, were responsible for awarding the prizes and giving honourable mentions.
We appreciate your understanding regarding this exceptional situation caused by the drought and look forward to holding next year’s event.
The jury
The international expert jury is made up of around sixty professionals from the world of gardening and roses, as well as creators from other disciplines, and its individual members vary from year to year.
The standing committee is made up of 12 local specialists and experts. This committee officially monitors and assesses the evolution of the plants sent to them from breeders around the world between autumn and the month of May. Between May and December, during the year’s plant cycle, four detailed assessments are carried out for each variety, prior to the expert jury’s full assessment. The committee awards points for factors that include vigour, development, foliage, fragrance, resistance to pests, durability, and the degree of novelty and interest in the flower. The second official assessment is made on site by the international jury during the competition. The jury awards points for the interest the flower generates, as well as its novelty, fragrance and beauty.
In addition to the international jury, the new roses are also assessed by schools, representatives from the Barcelona Senior Citizens’ Council, and the Jury of Master Perfumers, composed of eight international specialists who determine the variety with the best fragrance and provide a written description.
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List of previous winners of the competition (2009-2024)
Visit the Parc de Cervantes rose garden
The Parc de Cervantes rose garden is an exceptional space that is notable for its botanical, aesthetic and educational value related to roses.
Inaugurated in 1965 by architects Lluís Riudor and Joaquim Maria Casamor, the rose garden contains more than two thousand different species and varieties of roses, with a total of more than ten thousand plants spread over four hectares.
International recognition came in 2009 when the Parc de Cervantes rose garden received the Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies, in recognition of its beauty, history and educational value.
At the Parc de Cervantes rose garden, visitors can admire representative species from the entire history of roses, including collections of wild roses, old hybrids and modern varieties. Other highlights include the climbing roses and the collection of the most fragrant rose varieties, along with a space dedicated to the award-winning roses from previous editions of the competition.
