The 2022 Almere Floriade, the plant and garden festival held every 10 years since 1960, cost the city €128.9 million, some €25 million more than the authorities had said earlier, RTV Flevoland has said.

The new figure comes from a special commission set up to investigate the financial debacle, RTV Flevoland said.

The flower show was first budgeted at €10 million. However, the Almere festival only brought in 685,000 out of the target 2.8 million visitors. The event also led to the resignation of the city’s executive board.

The Dutch horticulture council NTR decided later that the Almere event would be the last. Previous Floriades in Venlo, Haarlemmermeer and Zoetermeer also lost money.

The event was first held in Rotterdam in 1960 with the aim of strengthening the image of the Dutch horticulture sector, and to promote exports, but then expanded into an international plant and garden show with exhibitors from other countries.