logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
18m 3s

Floriade: Was it worth it?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Floriade is one of the world's biggest gardening and horticulture expos - and it has cost taxpayers in the Dutch city of Almere nine times as much as originally budgeted.

So why did organisers go ahead with the project, and was it still worth it – despite hugely disappointing visitor numbers?

Matthew Kenyon talks to advocates and critics of an event which may be the last of its kind in the Netherlands. Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon.

(Image: Floriade. Image credit: BBC)

Up next
Aug 6
Taking stock: Global trade's new reality
What is driving the global shift towards economic protectionism? Will Bain is joined by Jennifer Pak, NPR's China correspondent, and Trevor Simumba, an international business consultant in Zambia, to discuss why the trend has accelerated since Donald Trump's tariffs and why globa ... Show More
21 m
Apr 2026
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2026
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
Tulips
In the 1630s, the Netherlands experienced 'tulip mania' - a surge in demand for tulips from wealthy buyers, with some individual bulbs costing twenty times more than a carpenter's annual salary. Then, in February 1637, the price suddenly crashed. It's often cited as the first gre ... Show More
10m 1s
Sep 2021
The Big Business of Flowers
Where do your flowers come from? Liz Waid and Bruce Gulland tell about the business of growing and selling flowers. Join this channel to get access to exclusive videos and script PDFs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeqE9km-sipc9NCw02_4RQ/join https://spotlightenglish.com/work ... Show More
14m 15s
Apr 2023
A Rose by Any Other Name: Supply Chains and Carbon Emissions in the Flower Industry
Headquartered in Kitengela, Kenya, Sian Flowers exports roses to Europe. Because cut flowers have a limited shelf life and consumers want them to retain their appearance for as long as possible, Sian and its distributors used international air cargo to transport them to Amsterdam ... Show More
23m 34s
Dec 2023
Hermes Fortune
What's really going on with the gardener?  $11B!Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
3m 25s
Oct 2025
CLASSIC: Were Tulips Really The Bitcoin of the 1600s?
In the 1600s, residents of the Dutch Republic were -- according to the story -- absolutely bonkers for tulips. A market sprang up around the tulip trade, and people began paying in advance for tulip bulbs, negotiating increasingly extravagant financial agreements and, in some cas ... Show More
30m 21s
Nov 2024
A $6 million banana?!
<p>In today’s episode for 25th November 2024, we tell you why art fetches millions or even billions of dollars. And spoiler alert: it’s not as straightforward as it seems.</p> <p> Speak to Ditto's advisors now, by clicking the link here - <a href="https://ditto.sh/9zoz41" target= ... Show More
7m 36s
Jun 2019
MoviePass begins with plenty of drama
Unlimited movie theater tickets for $9.99 a month? It sounds too good to be true and, well... it might be.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram, where you can see photos from Lauren's tour of the former He ... Show More
29m 1s