THE spirit of Rio is coming to North Yorkshire – as the Harrogate Spring Flower Show pays tribute to the upcoming Olympic Games.

A spectacularly colourful carnival-style costume has been painstakingly created using fresh flowers and foliage for the first time.

And the 12ft by 12ft work of art will form part of Britain’s biggest exhibition of floristry and flower arranging during the show which runs from April 21 to 24.

The costume has been created by international carnival designer Hughbon Condor and award-winning local florist Helen James, with the support of funding from Arts Council England.

Containing more than 30 metres of aluminium tubing and fibreglass rods, 16 cubic metres of foam and more than 1,400 fresh flowers and pieces of plant material, the Carnival of Flowers costume took a staggering 155 hours to complete.

Mr Condor said: “This is a very special project because it is the first time a carnival costume has been made from fresh flowers.

“It presents the very exciting opportunity to combine the artistic influences of the Caribbean and South America with floral art, which is a completely new discipline for me.”

Ms James added: “In true Rio style we have chosen flowers in bright, vibrant colours such as lime green, orange, hot pinks, purple and yellow to replace what would normally be feathers."

The show will also feature large scale exhibits from floristry colleges across the region, celebrating the forthcoming games in Brazil with the theme Carnival Rio Style.

Tickets for the show range from £16.50 to £18.50. Under 16s are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.