Central Chidlom, one of Bangkok's flagship department stores, has transformed itself into a five-storey "Dream Garden" to mark Central Department Store's 79th anniversary. The festival, called Central Anniversary 2026 – Where Wonders Bloom, runs from 29 October to 2 November 2026 and packs flowers, art, music, food and shopping deals into a few dense days in the heart of the city.

The opening night leaned heavily on Thai star power. Actresses Namtan Tipnaree and Film Rachanun opened the festivities with a charity auction of their own artwork, raising money for the Kamlangjai Project, which supports inmates and former inmates. Singer-actor Billkin Putthipong followed with a mini concert, and DJs ROOTS and PATRA B kept the night going.

The centrepiece is six themed floral installations spread across floors G to 5. WHITE VIBE centres on a 3.8-metre giant vase filled with white blooms; SWEET BREEZE goes for ballet-inspired displays; GOOD MOOD is a pastel meadow dotted with 31 sheep sculptures; and other floors feature hanging floral art, tree-root installations and a playful meadow with dog sculptures. In short, it is built for photos.

There is a Japanese art angle too: Yuta Okuda's installation of handcrafted flowers made from corn husks sits in the tunnel connecting Central Chidlom to Central Embassy, with a tote bag painting workshop upstairs at Central Embassy.

Hands-on types get a long list of workshops — keychain making, flower patches, resin phone cases, hammered flower art, a perfume atelier, and a reimagined take on traditional Thai malai garlands worn as fashion accessories. Beauty counters offer a free AI skin analysis that takes about five minutes, and there's a stamp rally across eight spots that earns a THB 100 dining voucher (first 100 redemptions only).

Food is a big draw. Ten restaurants, including Weng, Shichi, Mozza by Cocotte, Greyhound and The Rolling Pinn, are serving floral-inspired dishes and drinks, with Thai floral desserts at Eathai in Central Embassy.

For shoppers, the numbers are punchy: up to 30% off new arrivals, limited-edition collections from brands like Estée Lauder, La Mer, Mardi Mercredi, SEIKO, adidas and Pandora, and combined privileges of up to 32%. Spend THB 5,000 on one receipt and you can enter a mystery box draw with over 3,000 prizes. Runners get a THB 400 discount coupon for logging a 5 km or 10 km run, and there are extra perks for international visitors and The 1 Expat members — worth over THB 8 million in rewards in total.

If you happen to be in Bangkok during the festival window, it's an easy, free-to-wander way to see Thai pop culture, floral design and mall-scale spectacle in one place — and the Chidlom BTS stop drops you right at the door.