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- The May 2025 edition
The May 2025 edition
Your monthly guide on what to lock in early. The shows, openings and cultural moments that shape the month ahead, before your calendar fills itself.
"You cannot know the city until you’ve seen it in every light — sun, fog, rain, dusk."
May brings that welcome stretch of London days where the city exhales. Mornings start earlier (sunrise at 05:23 by month's end) and evenings grow deliciously long. We're trading layers for linens, watching pub crowds spill onto pavements, and planning weekend escapes with the confidence that rain won't spoil them (mostly).
The city shifts its rhythm this month. Parks become workspaces, rooftops reopen and outdoor swim spots fill with those who've waited all winter. There's a brief window when London feels spacious, before summer tourists arrive in force, where you can actually book that restaurant or secure tickets without much hassle.
May is when London rewards spontaneity. The afterwork drink that turns into dinner. The cycle commute that becomes a detour through the park. The weekend with nothing planned that somehow becomes everything. This month, we've curated the cultural moments worth marking your calendar for – just leave room for the unplanned magic.
Sketch in Bloom returns with a quietly extravagant tribute to Jane Austen. Expect wild gardens, wisteria trees and floral tableaus woven through its neoclassical rooms (Sketch, Mayfair, All Month).
Step inside the UK’s largest 360° spatial audio dome. Live sets from Jon Hopkins, Tinariwen and Kiasmos. VIPs get sound-drenched decks, fast track and private bars. (Crystal Palace Park, 2-4 May)
Skye McAlpine’s Tavola shop returns with handmade tableware, vintage finds and floral details. Expect low-key luxury and creative workshops, from seasonal tablescapes to watercolour menus (Belgravia, 3 May - 7 June).
Ten venues. 100 artists. One postcode. Queen’s Yard takes over Hackney Wick with club culture, rooftop sets and warehouse energy (Hackney Wick, 3 May).
The producers of Fleabag bring one actor with no script. Each night, a new guest joins onstage incl. David Tennant, Indira Varma, Russell Tovey and more (Young Vic Theatre, 6-24 May).
Four days of free art, DJs and performance to mark Tate Modern’s 25th. Louise Bourgeois returns. Foundation FM spins. No ticket required. (Bankside, 9-12 May).
Over 200 events citywide. Atelier visits, live demos, and workshops from paper weaving to denim repair. A quiet reminder that how something’s made still matters (Citywide, 12-18 May).
The UK’s sharpest photography fair turns 10. Platinum prints, indie books and thought-leader speaker panels (Somerset House, 14-18 May).
Post-punk, indie and electronic heat, curated by the minds behind MOTH Club. Kneecap, CMAT, Sega Bodega (Brockwell Park, 23 May).
Three days of properly curated electronic music. Caribou, Moodymann, Floating Points. Stage takeovers from NTS, Horse Meat Disco and more. Celebrating ten years of doing it right (Peckham Rye Park, 23-26 May).
Silverstone goes full throttle. VIPs get champagne, paddock access and calm in the chaos — from the VIP Village to the Legends Club to Parc Fermé in The Wing (Silverstone, 23-25 May).
Ezra Collective and Michael Kiwanuka headline. Jazz, soul and wine in the sun. (Brockwell Park, 25 May).
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