A garden planted by Jamie Butterworth has taken centre stage at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony 2026. Published: July 24, 2026 at 2:13 pmA garden designed by Amalie White in collaboration with plantsman Jamie Butterworth formed the centre-piece for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2026 last night. Spanning over 200 square metres of flora, the 15-metre diameter moveable garden was filled with plants that evoked a living piece of the Scottish environment. Hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, the Commonwealth Games opened with this lush green scene and from here, King Charles III and Queen Camilla emerged from Dr Who’s famous blue Tardis.
The mechanics of the stage
White created the stage design by beginning with a single knotted thread, representing a Celtic knot. As lines of woven light joined together, they formed an infinite loop of paths that converged on a central point. According to the report, the stage acted as a crossroads where athletes from across the city, the country, and the Commonwealth met. This intersection connected sport, nature, culture, and art.
Butterworth planted the garden using giant trays on moveable castors. Despite weighing one tonne each, the modular trays were moved by hand thanks to the wheels. The entire installation rolled out in two minutes, allowing for a rapid scene change that resembled a giant garden jigsaw puzzle.
The plants were grown peat-free on Butterworth’s Form Plants nursery. They were selected for their wild palette and texture. White described the soft, muted colours as acting like traditional tartan or tweed. From a distance, the details felt connected, while up close, the individual features were detailed.
A tribute to Scotland
Butterworth guided the horticultural selection to ensure the plants grew well together and formed a cohesive whole. He described the result as “horticulturally ambitious yet completely natural in feel.” The garden features ornamental grasses for a baseline texture of wild environment, blending into a sweeping, heather-inspired palette of blues and purples.
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The selection includes Molinia, Sesleria, Calamagrostis, Agastache, Catananche, Perovskia, Sanguisorba, Selenium, Nepeta, resilient thistles, and multiple perennials that evoke coastal paths, alpine highlands, and loch-sides. The choices were made to provide volume, colour, and a sense of wildness that reflects the wider picture.
This is the second time Butterworth and White have collaborated, having previously worked together on the Gucci Cruise 25 at Tate Modern. The design for this project was partly inspired by King Charles III’s lifelong passion for the natural environment. It champions the philosophy of “letting nature in” and blurs the lines between careful cultivation and rugged Scottish wilderness.
Visually, the garden was placed centre stage, in the round, and criss-crossed by a saltire-shaped walkway. The physical garden was enhanced by an immersive wrap-around screen. This screen extended the environment into a cinematic vista, creating the illusion that the stage was nestled in the middle of a boundless environment. The centre of the garden was carved out to serve as a crossroads for performance, while a circular ramp allowed the action to completely surround the garden.
The garden will go on to have a permanent home which will be announced at the end of the Games.
