Malvern Spring Festival is looking ahead to spring with optimism despite the ongoing Covid crisis.

Thanks to its robust response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, The Three Counties Showground has been awarded the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark.

Head of Shows, Di Walton said: “This verifies that the showground meets the Government and public health guidance on Covid-19 and that we have all the required health and safety processes in place to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable visit.”

And in these socially-distanced days, visitors to the 90 acres showground in May can expect new attractions, including the open-air Specialist Nurseries Arena, “where visitors will have space and time to select from a wide range of the finest plants, from over 70 award-winning nurseries and national collection holders.”

The festival is also planning socially distanced queueing systems at the entrance gates and at key points, such as catering areas; extra parking and park and ride; changes to layouts and crowd management to avoid build ups in popular areas; and an enhanced cleaning regime and waste disposal.

Hand sanitisers will be available to staff and visitors alike at strategic points, and there will be cashless transactions where possible.

There will be two entry times, 8am and 2pm. Visitors with 8am tickets will need to leave the show at 1pm.

For those requiring inspiration on a smaller scale, the popular Shipping Container Gardens will be returning in 2021 “to provide a range of fresh and innovative design ideas.”

The outdoors theme will extend to a spacious alfresco dining area, plant arcades and lifestyle and gardenalia stands.

The event, from May 5 to May 9, 2021, will follow on from the sell-out success of the socially distanced, outdoor Malvern Plant and Garden Fair, in September.

Planning ahead for the May celebration is an ongoing exercise, subject to change, as Government rules on how to tackle Covid are likely to change in the weeks and months ahead.

Show organisers stress they will “continue to follow Government advice and comply with all the latest rules.”