Looking for the best things to do in London in May? Look no further…
Take it from us: this month in London is about to be a corker. Not only do we have a bank holiday on nearly every weekend this month, the days are longer and lighter, and summer is just around the corner – in other words, it’s a great time to be in London.
From Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the beginning of the festival season to the chance to win £500 at Belgravia in Bloom and some incredible Rick Stein-inspired cooking – here’s the best of May 2023.
Things to do in London in May
Celebrate Star Wars Day in Style
Citywide
4th May
London goes a little bit gaga for Star Wars, so there are plenty of ways to unleash the force in the capital – in fact, you can read our complete guide here.
However, some of the best things to do this May the fourth include trying your hand at Jedi training and seeing if you’ve got what it takes to defeat the baddies, heading to Madame Tussauds for the Star Wars Experience to snap pictures with some very famous faces, and checking out the Fans Strike Back exhibition now on in Kensington.
May the force be with you.
Discover the Vast Wealth of the Orient
The British Museum
4th May – 13th August
Never ones to miss an opportunity for some displays of fascinating ancient cultures, The British Museum is a few days away from opening the doors on their new exhibition Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece.
The exhibition will draw together artefacts of Persian and Greek wealth to analyse how it changed the power dynamics of the ancient oriental world, especially when the ancient Greeks came into contact with it.
If you didn’t know, the Persian empire was massively wealthy, we’re talking about gold hoards that would make Fort Knox feel shy – and carved into beautiful, ornate jewellery that you can see right here.
See a Film at an Asian Film Festival
Citywide
4th – 14th May
You may have heard of Tongues on Fire, they’re the biggest Asian Film Festival in the UK and they’re back on through the first half of the month delivering screenings of the best of Asian cinema right to a cinema near you.
The films they pick are generally smaller budget and give voices to underrepresented Asian communities. Whatever style they come in though, the films they show are always thought-provoking and full of budding talent.
Tickets and further information here
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in True Mexican Fashion
5th May
It’s no secret that May contains one of the best dates in the calendar – Cinco de Mayo – and Londoners love an excuse to party, so it’s no wonder that there are plenty of things to get involved with this month.
Trendy King’s Cross lounge and restaurant Decimo is flying in chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias from Mexico for an exclusive one-night-only dinner showcasing the best of Puebla. You can book that here.
Skylight will also be celebrating the big day with parties at both their Tobacco Dock and Peckham locations where guests will have a Picante waiting for them on arrival and 2-for-1 margs all afternoon.
It’s safe to say that London’s Mexican restaurants will also be popping off on May 5th. Our top picks include El Camion (and the Pink Chihuahua) in Soho, El Pastor near Borough Market, and KOL for a more upscale affair.
Join Brew/LDN to Celebrate All Things Beer
Farringdon
5th + 6th May
Brew/LDN are returning in May, teaming up with soon-to-be-no-more clubbing venue Printworks to bring us a giant, and we mean really giant, festival of all things beer.
You can read that as 12,000 people piling into the disused floors of the printing presses to sample the best of brewing. There’ll be people from the craft scene as well as more mainstream brews, and in what is surely a very open minded move from the beer scene, people from the cider world too.
Naturally all this needs a little grub to wash it down with and they’ve got in big shots like From the Ashes BBQ and Freewheelin’ Pizza to do the catering – among other very notable pop-ups.
Check Out Belgravia in Bloom (And Maybe Win Some Serious Cash!)
Belgravia
22nd – 29th May
One of London’s prettiest neighbourhoods is throwing a festival of about the only thing that could make it even prettier, flowers. Belgravia in Bloom is taking things back to the wild with a show of some pretty incredible flower arrangements.
Designs of fearsome tigers, delicate butterflies – and much more – are all being made with the help of the local community.
And to sweeten the deal, we’ve organised a competition with them. You can enter in the link below for the chance to win a £500 voucher to be spent at any of Belgravia’s many stores involved in the show. There are some big names in there – Peggy Porschen, The Lanesborough and Bayley & Sage, to name a few…
Celebrate the Coronation
Citywide
6th – 8th May
It’s hard to imagine how this isn’t on your radar yet, but the first weekend in May is going to be given over to the coronation of Prince Charles and Queen Consort Camilla and all the drinking and shenanigans that go with a bank holiday weekend.
There’ll be heaps going on, not least of all a procession and ceremony to catch around Westminster. Tesco has decided they are opening a pub for the occasion, bars and pubs have been given permission to stay open late and we’re expecting more than a few street parties. You can read our full guide to the coronation below.
Read More: The Coronation of Charles III: Everything You Need to Know
Eat a Rick Stein-Inspired Meal from a Michelin-Starred Kitchen
Fitzrovia
10th – 13th May
James Knappett, head chef and patron of two-Michelin starred restaurant, The Kitchen Table, is throwing a three-night menu with a concept that we find pretty heartwarming. It’s an homage to a chef that mentored and inspired Knappett throughout his career and one we all know and love: Rick Stein.
Kappett first worked under Stein in Padstow in the late 90s and has gone on to be one of London’s top restaurateurs. This menu is a 16-course gastronomic spin through the cookbooks and recipes of Ricks (we feel we know him well enough to call him that).
The combination of some of Cornwall’s top seafood dishes being executed under the hands of James Knappett gives us much to be excited about.
Enjoy Some Anti-Anxiety Art
Tottenham Court Road
15th – 21st May
In honour of Mental Health Week Outernet London has put on a pretty interesting exhibition of a single piece of giant interactive art. The piece is called the Monolith and is generally very monolithic, but coolest of all will change depending on how many people are in the room.
It basically works by uniting hundreds of image ‘particles’ on the screen. These particles will move slowly and get more and more agitated as the room fills up, then calm again as it empties.
The whole thing is a metaphor for the mind under conditions of anxiety and entirely free to see – just nip into the outernet building on Tottenham Court Road.
Peruse Rare Books
Chelsea
18th – 21st May
If you’re into books in a bigger way than just reading, you should have your eyes on the Rare Book Fair coming to Chlesea’s Saatchi Gallery later in the month.
The fair will feature all sorts of old and rare books, as well as original manuscripts that you can see and buy – if you happen to trade in this sort of thing. This year celebrates the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio so they’ve gone with the theme: ‘Shakespeare: 400 Years of Influence’.
To pull it off they’ve invited and locked in over 100 international rare book dealers and a copy of Shakespeare’s third folio – an even rarer manuscript than his first.
Watch the Lord Mayor’s Flotilla
Citywide (But get a good view)
21st May
Fancy getting up at the crack of dawn to see London’s sky filled up with hot air balloons? Well, you can do that this May. After a record breaking show last year, the Lord Mayor’s Flotilla will be returning in full force.
If you’re up early enough (5.30am) you’ll be able to see the balloons take off for the Lord Mayor’s Flotilla. The balloons are often shaped in strange ways – there was once a boot – or at least come decorated in full British style with eccentric patterns to boot.
As usual they list a few days on which the event could take place – English weather means that holding an event that requires dry, relatively windless days can be tricky – those days are the 14th and 21st May and failing that the 2nd of July.
Read More: The Hot Balloon Parade Brightening Up London’s Skies This Summer
Visit the Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea
22nd – 27th May
If it’s the floral that gets you more excited than the chance to rub shoulders with some celebs, you’re also in for a treat this May. That’s because May is the time of rejuvenation and floral blooms, and so The Chelsea Flower Show.
The show really needs no introduction but we’ll give you anyone anyway because that’s our job. It’s a chance to see some tip-top flower arrangements, see some beautiful gardens in full bloom, pick up new equipment and mingle with fellow gardening enthusiasts.
It also makes for some hella ‘gramworthy Insta shots. Just sayin’…
More information and tickets here
Hit a Late Session at the Courtauld
Somerset House
26th May
Somerset House’s Courtauld Gallery has announced it will be running a series of lates, one of which gets a May date. The Courtauld will be open until 9:30pm on the night of the 26th, which happens to be a Friday.
A good thing too considering that the gallery has promised ‘Courtauld Cocktails’ (whatever they are) from a pop-up bar they’re organising solely for the night, and a DJ who’ll be presiding over the event from the gallery entrance hall.
Try not to drink too much though, you will be swanning around among Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère – just two of the priceless pieces of art in their collection. You’ll also be able to catch the last of their exhibition on Peter Doig before it closes on the 29th May.
Go Autograph Hunting at Comic Con
Docklands
26th – 28th May
If you’ve got a bit of an inner nerd in you, it’s time to dust off that old costume and head to MCM Comic Con.
The biannual gathering of stars is taking place at the ExCel London centre over the last weekend of the month and promises much to get excited about with guests coming from gaming, literary, entertainment and comic-book circles for singing and photo opportunities.
Ryan Hurst of God of War: Ragnarok and Sons of Anarchy is confirmed as is graphic novelist Zoe Thorogood and heaps more.
Attend The Ally Pally’s 150th Birthday
Muswell Hill
27th May
This Spring marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Alexandra Palace. The iconic venue has chalked up quite a history over the years. It’s been the site of gigs by pretty much every major musician you can think of, survived two world wars, housed refugees and burned down twice, the first time only weeks after it opened.
No wonder then that they’ll be turning up the noise for the birthday party. They’re getting DJs, street food pop-ups, gin gardens, cinema screenings, arts and crafts and heaps more of that good stuff at a totally free event on the 27th. Be there or be square.
Hit a Day Festival by NTS
Burgess Park
27th May
May sees the first of a new event that we’re really excited about. It’s a day-festival by underground radio station NTS. If you don’t tune in to the station, they bump some of the best music in London and stuff that ranges from undiscovered grime to funk and tech DJs digging through the crates for their fav classics.
The festival promises to be much along those lines with some big names of undiscovered and underground scenes making the headlines.
Post-Punk group Dry Cleaning are onboard, as is must-see jazz musician Nala Sinephro and Aba Shanti-I who’ll be laying down some dub sessions.
Kick Off Festival Season at City Splash Festival
Brockwell Park
29th May
Festival season has started and we are so excited – all we need is the good weather to go along with it. May will see the beginning of things on the festival circuit really start to pick up steam ahead of the full-on summer months.
It all begins with City Splash festival right at the end of the month. That’s a very hoppin’ festival of reggae, dancehall and afrobeats down in Brixton’s Brockwell Park.
This year Chronixx, Koffee, Shenseea and Skillibeng are headlining the day-long festival with a frankly staggering amount of smaller acts to look forward to too.
Practical Tips for Exploring London in May
- The weather can be temperamental in May – it’s that awkward time of year where you’re freezing in the morning but boiling by midday. Pack a light jacket that you can take off and carry around if need be.
