May 2025, curated

Editor’s note
A few golden days always reminds us how good this city can feel when it leans into blue skies and fully bloomed trees. Mornings start with birdsong and evenings stretch just long enough to linger.

London in May has its own kind of magnetism. The parks are suddenly social hubs. Tables spill onto pavements. Calendars fill without you even noticing. There’s a tempo shift now. People start saying yes more quickly. Clothes get lighter. Plans move from “maybe” to “when.”

This month isn’t about finding time, it’s about choosing how to spend it. So here’s what we’ve lined up.

Sketch in Bloom: A Tribute to Jane Austen

Sketch, Mayfair, All Month

Sketch’s iconic floricultural takeover returns, this time reimagining the world of Jane Austen for what would be her 250th birthday.

Expect wild English gardens winding through its neoclassical rooms, from a wisteria-draped tree in the Lecture Room to a living floral portrait moment in the Entrance Hall. With installations by Lucy Vail, Ricky Paul and Rob Van Helden, plus an Austen-inspired afternoon tea, this is classicism made immersive. Quietly extravagant. Very sketch.

Polygon Live LDN

Crystal Palace Park, 2-4 May

This one’s built different. Polygon Live brings the largest 360° spatial audio experience the UK’s ever seen to a covered dome in Crystal Palace Park. Think Jon Hopkins, Tinariwen, Arooj Aftab, Max Cooper and Kiasmos — all playing live sets that move around you, literally.

Add sculpted lighting, warm sound and an atmosphere that’s more sensorial than shouty. VIPs get fast-track, private bars and a dedicated spatial system on the viewing deck.

Tavola Spring Shop

48 Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, 3 May - 7 June

Refined cookery publisher, Skye McAlpine, is bringing a slice of la dolce vita to Belgravia with the Tavola Spring Shop. The elegant boutique will feature an edit of handmade tableware, vintage treasures, picnic pieces and floral details, all styled with that artisan touch.

Alongside the shop, a series of intimate in-store workshops span across the month including seasonal tablescapes with Skye McAlpine, floral menu painting with Imogen Partridge, and even a midnight feast for kids.

Queen’s Yard Summer Party

Hackney Wick, 3 May

One day. Ten venues. A properly built celebration of London club culture, the kind that doesn’t need a headliner to pull a crowd. Queen’s Yard Summer Party returns to Hackney Wick, turning the whole neighbourhood into a playground of sound, food and low-key chaos (in the best way).

Expect over 100 artists across rooftops, warehouses and canal-side corners. Come early, stay late and don’t bother trying to see it all. Final tickets are still floating.

An Oak Tree

Young Vic Theatre, 6-24 May

A stage hypnotist performs a routine. A man from the audience volunteers. But he’s not just any man — he’s the father of the girl the hypnotist accidentally killed. That’s where it starts.

From the producers behind ‘Fleabag’ and ‘Baby Reindeer’, An Oak Tree is a story about grief, guilt and the strange ways we try to process both. It's absurd, funny and deeply disarming. A play that unfolds like a memory you’re not sure you trust. The twist? One of the two actors has no idea what’s coming.

Each night, a new guest performer joins Tim Crouch on stage without seeing the script beforehand. They experience the story at the same time as the audience. Guest artists will be revealed live on the night, with a line-up including Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder), David Tennant (Doctor Who), Russell Tovey (Being Human) and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones).

Tate Modern turns 25

Bankside, 9-12 May

The Tate Modern is turning 25 and it’s not doing it quietly. The Birthday Weekender is four days and 2 nights of free art, music and performance. DJs from Foundation FM and Jumbi bring South London heat, while iconic works like Louise Bourgeois’ spider return to the Turbine Hall. No booking. Just show up.

London Craft Week

Citywide, 12-18 May

London Craft Week returns with over 200 events across the city — from hidden ateliers to fashion houses, perfumers to ceramicists. It’s not just about what’s made, but how and who’s behind it.

Expect live demos, open studios, and collabs that blur the line between design and art. Start at Mayfair for heritage. End in Peckham for something you’ve never heard of but won’t forget.

Craft workshops you won’t want to miss: pottery, silk-painting, denim repair, embroidery, paper weaving & wig-making.

Photo London

Somerset House, 14-18 May

Ten years in, and Photo London still sets the tone. The 2025 edition of the UK’s leading photography fair returns to Somerset House. Expect everything from platinum prints to speaking slots with some of the world’s most vital photographic voices. It’s a visual feast, but also a place to pause, look closer and rediscover how images shape the city.

Wide Awake Festival

Brockwell Park, 23 May

Wide Awake is where indie, post-punk and next-gen electronica collide. Think Kneecap, CMAT, Peaches and Sega Bodega, all in one field. Curated by the crews behind MOTH Club and Shacklewell Arms, it’s a lineup with taste and edge. No filler, no mainstream fluff.

GALA Festival

Peckham Rye Park, 23-26 May

Ten years deep, and still setting the pace. GALA returns to Peckham Rye for a three-day celebration of electronic music done right — Caribou, Floating Points, Moodymann, Theo Parrish (8 hours, open to close). With stage takeovers from NTS, Horse Meat Disco, Chapter Ten and more.

Hospitality at The British Grand Prix

Silverstone Circuit, 23-25 May

Not your usual summer weekend — Silverstone’s MotoGP is speed, spectacle and surprisingly good hospitality. If you’re going, do it properly.

The MotoGP VIP Village gets you trackside with paddock access, champagne on tap and a front-row seat to the grid. For a softer landing, try The Legends Club — sweeping views, an open bar and a quieter kind of buzz. Or head to Parc Fermé in The Wing for full throttle without the chaos. It’s high-octane, but handled.

Cross The Tracks

Brockwell Park, 25 May

Cross The Tracks returns with Mercury winners Ezra Collective and Michael Kiwanuka headlining. One bringing high-energy, horn-led joy and the other closing with velvet vocals and psychedelia you’ll feel in your chest.

Add South London food stalls, natural wine and good record shop energy, and you’ve got a Bank Holiday plan that actually makes sense.

As May creeps around, festival season really kicks off. Check out our latest article on the best music festivals in London this 2025.