Things to do in London in May 2026
May is arguably one of the best months in London, with two bank holidays to look forward to, the weather starting to warm up, and the feeling that a full summer of outdoor living, music festivals and long evenings is just around the corner. It’s also when the city’s cultural calendar properly kicks into gear, with new theatre productions, major art fairs, exhibitions and large-scale events taking over spaces across the capital. Here is our guide to things to do in London in May 2026.
Queen’s Yard Summer Party
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2024. Image credit MTotoe/FLO London
#FLODown: Queen’s Yard Summer Party returns to Hackney Wick in 2026 with a major day-to-night celebration of underground music culture. The Queen’s Yard area becomes a network of venues hosting continuous music across indoor and outdoor spaces, with DJs and live acts playing house, techno, garage, disco and experimental electronic sounds. Known for its multi-venue format, the event encourages movement between different spaces, each with its own atmosphere and programming. The 2026 edition continues its reputation as a key early summer event in East London, combining music, street culture and food offerings, and is expected to be in high demand due to limited capacity and ticket-only entry.
Date: 2 May 2026. Location: Hackney Wick, London E9 5LN. Price: from £44.80. Book now
Bold Tendencies: Euphoria
Image courtesy of Bold Tendencies
#FLODown: Bold Tendencies will reopen for its 2026 summer season with Euphoria, a multidisciplinary programme bringing together contemporary visual art, live performance, and public engagement. The programme will include new site-specific commissions by artists such as Andreas Gursky, Emma Hart and Tarek Lakhrissi, alongside an extensive live events series featuring orchestral and choral concerts, new music, dance, and literature. Highlights range from the opening concert by Ryan Wang to performances of works by Steve Reich and appearances by writers including Ben Okri. The programme will also include “The Listening Room” and a summer-long creative learning initiative, offering opportunities for audiences to engage more deeply with contemporary culture.
Click here for the full programme of events.
Date: 15 May – 12 September 2026. Location: 95A Rye Lane, Peckham, London SE15 4ST.
Photo London 2026
Steven Meisel, Bella Freud, 1993. © Steven Meisel
#FLODown: Photo London 2026 marks the fair’s move to Olympia in Kensington, introducing an expanded and reimagined programme for its eleventh edition. New highlights include the Source section for solo presentations, an artist film screening room, and an enlarged Discovery section with strong international and South Asian representation. Positions returns to support unrepresented photographers, while the Publishers section and talks programme are significantly expanded. Major features include Steven Meisel as Master of Photography and an Autograph exhibition of women and non-binary artists, reinforcing the fair’s global reach and curatorial ambition.
Date: 13–17 May 2026. Location: Olympia, Kensington. Price: from £20. Book now
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Image credit MTotoe/ FLO London
#FLODown: The 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns to the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds from 19–23 May 2026, showcasing a diverse collection of gardens designed by leading creators from around the world. Under the theme “Nurturing Nature and the Power of the Flower,” this year’s show highlights the transformative impact of gardens on wellbeing, biodiversity, and community life, with designers collaborating alongside charitable and cultural organisations to inspire positive change. Across the 13 featured gardens, key themes include enhancing urban biodiversity through pollinator-friendly planting, creating calming and restorative spaces inspired by symbolic design, and blending British historical references with Japanese garden philosophies. Several gardens also focus on social impact, including initiatives supporting young people, those living with health conditions, and communities facing inequality, while others explore sustainability, climate resilience, and the role of green spaces in cities. Overall, the show presents gardening as a powerful tool for connection, resilience, and hope, celebrating how nature can support both people and the planet.
Alongside the main show, Chelsea and Belgravia in Bloom extends the experience into the surrounding streets, where shops and buildings create large floral displays based on a shared theme (the 2026 theme is expected to link to “Green Cities”). Together, these events turn the area into a walking route filled with creative planting ideas.
Date: 19–23 May 2026. Location: Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4SR. Price: From £75 (Flower Show); Bloom festivals in Chelsea and Belgravia are free. Book now
Field Day Festival
Field Day Festival. Image courtesy of Field Day
#FLODown: Field Day Festival 2026 returns to Brockwell Park in Brixton on 23 May 2026 as one of London’s leading electronic music events, bringing together a mix of international DJs and live acts across multiple outdoor stages. The lineup this year includes Floating Points (live), Honey Dijon, Joy Orbison, Andy C, Interplanetary Criminal, Eliza Rose, Ewan McVicar, MJ Cole, Patrick Mason, KI/KI, Partiboi69, Horse Meat Disco, and Silva Bumpa, alongside a range of other electronic and club-focused artists.
Date: 23 May 2026. Location: Brockwell Park, Brixton, London. Price: £64.95–£100.95 + booking fee. Book now
Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25
Still Pointless marks the 25th anniversary of BalletBoyz © Hugo Glendinning
#FLODown: Still Pointless marks the 25th anniversary of BalletBoyz, celebrating the company’s acclaimed debut Pointless with a bold new production that reflects on its past while looking towards the future. Featuring 10 world-class dancers, the performance revisits highlights from BalletBoyz’ history alongside live dance and film, showcasing work by choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, Iván Perez, Maxine Doyle, Liam Scarlett, Xie Xin, and Javier de Frutos, with music from composers such as Cassie Kinoshi and Max Richter. The founders Michael Nunn OBE and William Trevitt OBE return to the stage for a special excerpt from Russell Maliphant’s Critical Mass, alongside the world premiere of a new commission by Seirian Griffiths. The production continues BalletBoyz’ tradition of pushing boundaries in how dance is created and experienced.
Date: 12–16 May 2026. Location: Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN. Price: From £15.00 (+ £4.00 transaction fee). Book now
JUNG Festival
Image courtesy of JUNG Festival
#FLODown: JUNG Festival will be London’s first dedicated Korean food festival, offering an immersive exploration of Korea’s rich and evolving food culture. Inspired by the Korean concept of Jeong (정), which reflects warmth and connection through shared food, the festival moves beyond familiar dishes to showcase a broader culinary landscape. Over the Bank Holiday weekend, more than 30 Korean traders will present a diverse range of food, desserts, crafts, and creative takes on traditional cuisine, including popular favourites such as Korean fried chicken from vendors like Chickenhaus, Hoho London, Hongdae Pocha and Kiwa. Curated in collaboration with food creator Rollin Lee and Market Root, the event highlights emerging talent and authentic flavours at the heart of London’s food scene.
Date: 1–4 May 2026. Location: Canopy Market & The Crossing, West Handyside Canopy, near Granary Square, London, N1C. Book now
Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words 2026
Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words. Image courtesy of Adrian Pope
#FLODown: The Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words returns with a five-day celebration of storytelling, journalism, politics and culture, featuring over 40 free and ticketed events for adults and children. Taking place across London’s historic publishing district, the programme includes author talks, live podcast recordings, current affairs discussions, creative writing workshops and family-friendly activities. Highlights include Sir Ben Okri on A Tale of Two Cities, Hanif Kureishi discussing his memoir Shattered, political conversations with Anthony Scaramucci and Chris Steele, appearances from Baroness Hale and Fergal Keane, plus interactive sessions with Arvon and leading children’s creators such as Beano and Rob Biddulph.
Date: 12–16 May 2026. Location: Fleet Street Quarter, London. fleetstreetquarter.co.uk
HOLY POP!
Children of Graceland (project). Hayley Louisa Brown.
#FLODown: HOLY POP! at Somerset House will explore how devotion to pop stars and cultural icons functions as a modern form of worship, shaping identity, values, and community. Through artworks, memorabilia, photographs, and objects, it will examine the ways people create personal and shared “shrines” to figures they admire, from intimate domestic displays to public acts of mourning and remembrance. The exhibition will consider how these practices foster connection and belonging in a fast-moving, increasingly individualistic world. Featured references will include figures such as David Bowie, Britney Spears, Prince, George Michael, and Nina Simone, alongside cultural icons including Princess Diana and Andy Warhol. It will also include reflective objects that highlight how meaning is attached to everyday items, transforming them into personal relics of admiration and memory.
Date: 21 May – 9 August 2026. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: Pay What You Can. Book now
Click here to discover art exhibitions opening in London in May 2026.
Rosewood’s Monet Art Afternoon Tea
Image courtesy of Rosewood London
#FLODown: Rosewood London has introduced a new Monet Art Afternoon Tea, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the world of Claude Monet through an edible celebration of his art and legacy. Curated by Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins, the experience draws inspiration from Monet’s garden at Giverny, his famous Water Lilies series, and his distinctive Impressionist use of light, colour and texture. In a special cultural milestone marking 100 years since Monet’s death in 2026, the menu reinterprets his masterpieces through refined savoury and sweet creations, including tea-infused dishes and three signature Art Cakes. Served daily from 12pm to 5:45pm in the Mirror Room.
Location: Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN. Price: from £80 per person for the traditional afternoon tea and £108 per person for the Champagne afternoon tea. Book now
London Craft Week
Crafts on Peel. Image courtesy of London Craft Week
#FLODown: London Craft Week 2026 is a city-wide celebration of global craftsmanship, bringing together makers from 35 countries across 150+ venues. Highlights include Sotheby’s Crafted exhibitions and auctions, a new Building Crafts series exploring heritage architecture, international showcases, and collaborations with names like JW Anderson and Loewe Craft Prize alumni. Expect talks, workshops and live demonstrations, from textiles and glassblowing to more unexpected crafts, showcasing both traditional skills and contemporary creativity.
Click here for the full programme of events. Date: 11–17 May 2026. Location: Various venues across London. Price: £0–£30.
IWA Canalway Cavalcade
Image courtesy of Inland Waterways Association
#FLODown: IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns to Little Venice for a historic, family-friendly canal festival organised by the Inland Waterways Association. The event brings together decorated narrowboats, colourful boat parades and an illuminated procession, alongside live music, craft stalls, food vendors and hands-on activities for all ages. Celebrating London’s waterways and community, it’s one of the city’s most distinctive free outdoor festivals, drawing large crowds each year.
Date: 2–4 May 2026. Location: Little Venice, London. Price: Free. waterways.org.uk
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Sherlock Holmes coming to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2026
#FLODown: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre returns in May 2026 with its much-loved summer season of outdoor performances in London, running through to September. Set beneath the open sky, the programme features theatre, dance and musical productions, opening with the world premiere of Sherlock Holmes on 2 May. The season continues with A Life in Four Seasons in June and a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, before a revival of Cats runs from July to September alongside the family show Anansi the Spider on the Theatre Lawn. Earlier matinee start times are introduced in June and July to improve comfort during warmer weather, offering audiences a varied programme of classic stories and new work in a distinctive outdoor setting.
Date: 2 May – 12 September 2026. Location: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NU. Price: £25–£75. Book now
Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific
Ah Xian China/Australia b.1960 China China – Bust no.4 1998 Porcelain, cast from figure, with hand-painted cobalt underglaze, reduction-fired red copper glaze and clear glaze The Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection of Contemporary Asian Art. Purchased 2000 with funds from The Myer Foundation, a project of the Sidney Myer Centenary Celebration 1899–1999, through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia © Ah Xian Image courtesy: QAGOMA
#FLODown: Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific set to opening at the V&A, brings together more than 70 works by over 40 artists from 25 countries in a major collaboration with QAGOMA. Drawing on the legacy of the Asia Pacific Triennial, the exhibition will present a wide range of contemporary practices across sculpture, photography, painting and traditional forms, with a strong focus on First Nations perspectives. Structured around three themes, Re-Visioning History, Enduring Knowledge, and Evolving Faith, it will explore histories of conflict and migration, the continuation of ancestral knowledge, and evolving expressions of spirituality. Featuring key works such as Michael Parekōwhai’s Kapa Haka (Whero) and Montien Boonma’s Lotus sound, the exhibition will offer a compelling insight into the diversity and interconnectedness of artistic practices across the Asia Pacific region.
Date: 16 May 2026 -10 January 2027. Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Price: £17. Book now
Brink
Marilyn Monroe, by Cecil Beaton, gelatin silver print, 1956, Collection: National Portrait Gallery.
#FLODown: Brink is a collection of four new plays performed by the Almeida 14–18 Young Company, inspired by Anya Reiss’s upcoming retelling of A Doll’s House. Written by Josh Elliott, Seb Gardner, Martha Loader and Stefanie Reynolds, the plays respond to themes from Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama, focusing on the explosive impact of hidden secrets and how their revelation can destabilise relationships and identities. Each piece explores emotional tension as buried truths come to light, exposing underlying fractures within personal lives. Developed between January and April through intensive workshops with professional practitioners, the young performers bring the new writing to life on stage, showcasing their exploration of contemporary theatre-making and performance techniques.
Date: 1 - 3 May 2026. Location: Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA. Price: From £12 (standard tickets, subject to availability). Book now
Liam Young: In Other Worlds at Barbican
Image credit: Film still from After the End (2024) by Liam Young. Image courtesy of the artist
#FLODown: In Other Worlds will be a major immersive exhibition by artist and futurist Liam Young that will explore how collective imagination can shape possible futures. It will transform the Barbican Centre into a series of cinematic environments filled with films, audio stories, costumes, graphic narratives and speculative artefacts. Created in collaboration with leading voices from film, television, literature and science, including Lisa Joy, Jane Wu, Kim Stanley Robinson and Chen Qiufan, it will also feature performances and voice work from figures such as Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Richard Ayoade, alongside original music, design and documentary works. Through interconnected imagined worlds, the exhibition will examine themes including climate change, technology, energy systems and human survival, presenting alternative futures rooted in real scientific and environmental possibilities. The experience will invite audiences to question how the future is made and what stories are needed to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Date: 21 May - 6 September 2026. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street Entrance, The Curve & Car Park 5, London EC2Y 8DS. Price: from £19 + £1.50 booking fee. Book now
Mother Courage and Her Children
Image courtesy of Shakespeare’s Globe
#FLODown: Shakespeare’s Globe will present Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children, translated by Anna Jordan and directed by Elle While. The production will feature Michelle Terry as Mother Courage alongside a large ensemble cast including Rawaed Asde, Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge, Rachelle Diedericks, Vinnie Heaven, Nadine Higgin, Max Runham and others. Set during the Thirty Years’ War, the play follows Mother Courage as she attempts to survive and profit from conflict while gradually losing her children to the same war that sustains her. The creative team includes James Maloney (composer), Fly Davis (costume design), takis (set design), and movement direction by Anna Morrissey and Lucy Cullingford, with fight and intimacy direction by Rachel Bown-Williams. Director Elle While describes the production as a powerful and timely interpretation of Brecht’s work, shaped by its relevance to contemporary global conflicts. A special Globe Talk in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company will also take place on 28 May, exploring Brecht’s legacy and modern political theatre.
Date: 7 May – 27 June 2026. Location: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT. Price: from £5. Book now
GALA Festival
GALA Festival Image credit Jake Davis
#FLODown: GALA Festival 2026 returns over the bank holiday weekend at Peckham Rye Park, bringing together house, disco and underground electronic music in a programme built around carefully curated selections rather than headline-driven booking. Across multiple stages, DJs, selectors and live acts are given space for extended sets, creating a continuous flow from daytime into late-night sessions.
Date: 22–24 May 2026. Location: Peckham Rye Park. Price: £76.50. Book now
The social impact of AI
A discussion on the social impact of AI to take place at RSA on 13 May 2026.
#FLODown: AI chatbots are increasingly under scrutiny not just for their economic or technological impact, but for their emerging influence on mental health and emotional wellbeing. This RSA public talk, in partnership with The Observer, explores growing evidence that some users are forming strong emotional attachments to AI systems, with concerning reports of distress and possible psychiatric symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Bringing together experts in psychiatry, technology journalism and online safety, the discussion examines how these tools may be reshaping human relationships, and what responsibilities fall on tech companies, regulators and governments as AI becomes more emotionally responsive. It also reflects on lessons from social media’s impact on mental health, particularly among young people.
Date: 13 May 2026. Location: RSA House, The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) is located at 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ and online via YouTube. Price: Free (booking required). thersa.org
