Luxembourg Rose Ball 2018; Credit: Steve Eastwood

On Tuesday 21 January 2025, the Luxembourg Rose Centre will host an information evening for young women interested in entering the 2025 Luxembourg Rose selection, at the Embassy of Ireland, 28 Route d'Arlon, Luxembourg-Belair.

The winning Rose will be crowned at the Luxembourg Rose Ball on Saturday 17 May 2025 and will represent the Grand Duchy at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Ireland in August 2025.

To enter, Roses must meet the following criteria:

  • be eighteen years of age by 1 January on the year of their involvement and will not have reached their 30th birthday on or prior to 1 September of that year;
  • be female or identify as female;
  • be born in Ireland or be an Irish citizen or be of Irish origin by virtue of one of their ancestors having been born in Ireland;
  • never have previously represented any Centre as a Rose in the Regional Festival or International Rose of Tralee Selection;
  • be living in the region they wish to represent, i.e. Luxembourg, for a minimum of one year and recommend that if selected as the Rose that they will remain resident in this region for the following twelve months;
  • be available for Rose Selection events and if selected be available for International Festival events.

Registration, no later than Friday 17 January 2025, is required to attend the information meeting. To register, email: luxembourgrosecentre@roseoftralee.ie

Further event details will be shared after registration.

Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to speak with Thérèse Collins, President of the Luxembourg Rose ASBL committee, about the Rose selection and festival.

Chronicle.lu: The search for the 2025 Luxembourg Rose is underway. Once applications have been received, what are the next steps in the selection procedure, prior to the Luxembourg Rose Ball on 17 May 2025?

Thérèse Collins: Once all the application forms have been received (closing date for applications is 28 February 2025), these are then shared with the judging panel for them to review, and prepare for the formal interviews with the Roses - these interviews will take place the weekend before the Ball.

Chronicle.lu: This is the first time Luxembourg has participated in the Rose festival since Covid. What has changed since then? Are there new policies or procedures or maybe some new committee members?

Thérèse Collins: The process in Luxembourg remains the same - we have the search for Roses, the annual bus tour […] and then the selection, i.e. the Rose Ball, on Saturday 17 May 2025, at the Parc Hotel Alvisse in Dommeldange. More details on how to buy tickets for the Rose Ball will follow in due course.

Chronicle.lu: What format will the 2025 Luxembourg Rose Ball take?

Thérèse Collins: The format remains unchanged from previous years. It is effectively a gala dinner, starting with a crémant reception, followed by a three-course meal. Once all guests are seated, the Roses and their escorts are introduced to the guests by our MC for the evening, Jim Kent. Comhaltas Luxembourg open the evening with young Irish dancers performing, followed later in the evening by the individual Rose interviews on stage - some Roses may perform a party piece if they wish - this is not mandatory, nor is it part of the judging process. The judges will then retire to discuss who will be the 2025 Luxembourg Rose, and during this time, we run the tombola, the proceeds of which are donated to a charity in Ireland and one in Luxembourg. Once the judges have made their decision, all the Roses are called on stage, the chair of the judging committee will then announce the 2025 Luxembourg Rose, and then the party starts with our DJ Sam Steen.

Chronicle.lu: How many centres, nationally and internationally, select a Rose each year? Does every centre have the chance to participate each year?

Thérèse Collins: I do not have the exact number, but as per the Rose of Tralee website, there are "34 Rose Centres nationally and worldwide this year". Some centres participate annually, e.g. Kerry, Dublin, London, New York and other centres are then every second year - again, I do not have the exact details of who participates annually or bi-annually.

Chronicle.lu: How are the 32 finalists that ultimately appear in the televised show selected?

Thérèse Collins: The judges for each of the centres are provided with the Roses application forms, and are given a judging assessment form to complete on the basis of the formal interviews, where they look at several characteristics such as for example personality, charisma, confidence, presentation.

Chronicle.lu: And finally, what can the chosen Luxembourg representative expect during her time as Rose, both before and after the finals in Tralee?

Thérèse Collins: The 2025 Luxembourg Rose, once selected on 17 May 2025, can expect to do media interviews in Luxembourg post the event, and we typically see that her home county will also report on the event and her selection. The time between May and August will be spent preparing our Lux Rose for Tralee, and we typically host a “going away” party to wish the Luxembourg Rose “Good Luck” in Tralee. The International Rose of Tralee Festival will take place between 15-19 August, with the 2025 International Rose being announced on Tuesday 19 August 2025. Generally before heading to Tralee, the 34 International Roses all meet at a location in Ireland, do a three to four day bus tour of Ireland visiting sponsors and then descend to Tralee for the 15 August, where the Rose Ball takes place, the festival parade followed by the TV nights on Monday and Tuesday 18 and 19 August 2025. Post Tralee, our Rose may do interviews in Luxembourg about her experience in Tralee, and we will then take a break for a year before the next selection in 2027. And we look to our 2025 Rose, if still living in Luxembourg at that time, to help with the search for Roses for the next event and share her experience of her reign as Luxembourg Rose.

Thérèse Collins recalled that the Rose of Tralee International Festival "is a celebration of Irish culture and heritage, connecting the global Irish community and supported by over 70 Rose Centres globally". She added that the "five-day festival culminates in the selection of the International Rose of Tralee, a year-long ambassador role for the woman who will represent Ireland and the festival, both locally and around the world". The family-friendly festival features various "parades, gala functions, community events, entertainment, televised Rose Selection nights and much more".