What’s On in London: May 2026 | A Guide for International Students

Spring is in full swing, the flowers are popping, and Chelsea is gearing up for its annual iconic flower show. Add in two bank holiday weekends, and for football fanatics, the FA Cup Finals will be filling up pubs (and pint glasses) across the city.

From legendary jazz artists to pop hits, festival season is back with a proper bang. It’s also officially National Walking Month – so there’s really no excuse to stay indoors this May.

Here’s our pick of the best things to do in London this month 🌷

🥾CULTURAL SPOTLIGHT: Britain’s Public Footpaths Explained

May is National Walking Month!

Go on a hike in the UK and you might find yourself walking through fields of sheep, cows, farmland, rivers, and forests alike. Strange? Sometimes. Wonderful? Absolutely.

This is all thanks to Britain’s public footpath system. Across the countryside, there are protected walking routes that anyone can legally use, even if the surrounding land is privately owned.

Many of these paths date back hundreds of years, when people needed the same routes to reach churches, markets, schools, and neighbouring villages. Today, landowners still can’t block them – even if we no longer need to walk through an hour of farmland to reach the nearest Tesco.

So, if your UK hiking route takes you through fields of cows and horses: relax, you’re allowed to be there.

Ready to lace up your walking shoes? Try some of these easy day trips from London:

• Eastbourne’s Seven Sisters for dramatic white chalk cliffs and sea views.
• Epping Forest for ancient woodland just outside the city.
• Sussex’s Devil’s Dyke for rolling hills and sheep-dotted fields

🏙️MAY HIGHLIGHTS

• Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words, May 12th to 16th – Head to Fleet Street for a celebration of language, literature, and ideas, with talks from famous writers including Ben Okri and creative writing workshops.
• London Coffee Festival, May 14th to 17th – If coffee is more than just survival fuel, this one’s for you. Explore 275 artisan coffee and gourmet foods at The Truman Brewery.
• FA Cup Finals, May 16th and 31st – Experience a beloved British pastime: shouting at a screen with a pint in hand. Most pubs will show it live, but Big Penny Social is a great pick for space and atmosphere.
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May 19th to 23rd – Attend one of the world’s most famous flower and garden shows, where top garden designers and florists create spectacular displays and exhibits.
• Chelsea In Bloom, May 18th to 24th – Love free things? Around the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show, the neighbourhood transforms with huge floral installations outside shops and cafés.
• Belgravia in Bloom, May 18th to 24th – For a fairytale twist, head to Belgravia, Chelsea’s smaller, even posher cousin hosting its own free flower festival. Reward yourself with a cupcake at Peggy Porschen after admiring the displays.
• Eid on the Square in Trafalgar Square, May 30th – Trafalgar Square hosts a free celebration marking the end of Ramadan, with performances, workshops, and delicious food.
• Urban Village Fete in Greenwich, TBA – Greenwich’s Central Park plays host to this modern take on a traditional British fete, with workshops, live performances, and street food.
• Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, May 2nd to Sept 12th – Warmer weather means enchanting outdoor theatre. Sherlock Holmes opens the programme with performances until June.

🖼️EXHIBITIONS

• Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration Opening – One of the UK’s most iconic illustrators, Sir Quentin Blake, just opened a permanent place for illustration in London, with free public gardens, displays, and an illustration library.
• Holy Pop! at Somerset House, May 21st to Aug 9th – Ever had an unhealthy attachment to a boyband member or fictional character? This new exhibition explores modern obsession and fandom culture.
• James McNeill Whistler at the Tate, May 21st to Sept 27th – The first major European exhibition dedicated to the American artist’s work.
• Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery, May 2nd to Aug 23rd – A rare chance to see the Spanish master in the UK’s first major exhibition of his paintings.
• Henry Moore: Monumental Nature at Kew Gardens, May 9th until 2027 – Towering sculptures meet one of London’s most beautiful green spaces.

🎶MUSIC & FESTIVALS

• GALA Festival, May 22nd to 24th – South London’s coolest dance music festival kicks off festival season at Peckham Rye Park with its signature underground grooves.
• Field Day Festival, May 23rd – Another EDM fest, with standout headliners Floating Points and Joy Orbison. You’ll have a field day.
• Mighty Hoopla Festival, May 30th to 31st – Join Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ pop festival for Jessie J, Scissor Sisters, and Lilly Allen.
• City Splash Festival, May 25th – A one-day celebration of afrobeats, reggae, dancehall and more at Brockwell Park.
• Cross The Tracks Festival, May 24th – Jazz, funk, soul, and good vibes in the sun.
• Brixton Disco Festival, May 2nd – Exactly what it sounds like. Get your boogie on at Brixton Disco Festival.
• Dialled In, May 30th – An artist-led showcase of South Asian music and culture, with activities ranging from poetry workshops to jewellery making.

🎭LONDON THEATRE

• Inter Alia at Wyndham’s Theatre, March 19th to June 20th – From the director of the acclaimed Prima Facie, Rosamund Pike plays an optimistic judge struggling to balance professional success with her personal life.
• My Neighbour Totoro at Gillian Lynne Theatre, until August – Studio Ghibli’s classic animation about a friendship with a strange forest creature is beautiful and eerie in equal measure.
• Beetlejuice The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre, from May – Expect big chaos and bigger costumes in this fan-favourite Broadway hit arriving in London.
• 1536 at Ambassadors Theatre, May 2nd to Aug 1st – A play set in Tudor England exploring female friendship through a darkly comic lens.
• Krapp’s Last Tape at Royal Court Theatre, May 8th to 30th – Samuel Beckett’s classic meditation on memory and regret, starring and directed by Gary Oldman.

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