Things to do in London in May 2024
As the days lengthen and summer approaches, May brings back some beloved summer events to the city, like the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London Craft Week, and Clerkenwell Design Week. Plus, keep an eye out for new public art installations at the Serpentine, leading up to the opening of their Summer Pavilion. Discover our selection of events to enjoy in London this May.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2024
Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 Gateway by Steve Messam x SketchUp. Photo by Sam Frost.
#FLODown: Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) returns in May for its 15th year. With new venues, expanded spaces, and over 600 curated events, it remains the UK's premier design festival. Highlights include exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops, and unique destinations across 12+ venues, featuring 300+ design brands. Registration is open on the event's website.
Date: 21 - 23 May 2024. Location: Clerkenwell. Website: clerkenwelldesignweek.com.
IWA Canalway Cavalcade
IWA Canalway Cavalcade 2024. Photo by MTotoe.
#FLODown: The annual IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns, with more than 100 boats mooring up in Little Venice this early May bank holiday to celebrate London's waterways. Historic and working narrowboats, cruisers, and widebeams decked out in colourful decorations create a festive atmosphere along the canals. Around the canal, visitors can enjoy live music, food stalls, crafts, and family-friendly entertainment. Highlights include an illuminated boat parade on Sunday night. It's a vibrant celebration of canal life not to be missed.
Date: 4-6 May 2024 (10am-6pm Saturday, 10am-6pm and 9pm-10.30pm Sunday, and 10am-5pm Monday). Location: Regent’s Canal at Little Venice. Price: Free.
London Craft Week 2024
London craft week returns for its tenth anniversary edition in May 2024. Photo by Alexander Andrews.
#FLODown: London Craft Week, a festival celebrating exceptional craftsmanship, returns to the city for its tenth anniversary edition. Since its inception in 2015, the event has grown significantly, with nearly a quarter of a million visitors enjoying the work of over 700 makers from 40 countries in 2023. The festival showcases creative talent across various sectors and disciplines, offering a programme of events that highlight the inspiration, process, and materials behind beautiful objects. Attendees are encouraged to explore hidden workshops, independent makers, heritage craftsmen, and luxury houses, embracing London's diverse creative scene.
Click here for programme of events.
Date: 13-19 May 2024. Location: The festival takes place across the city at over 200 separate locations – independent shops, studios, pop-ups, national museums, contemporary galleries, department stores and luxury boutiques.
Battersea Power Station x Claire Luxton
Field of Dreams 2024 by MTArt Artist Claire Luxton commissioned by Battersea Power Station.
#FLODown: Battersea Power Station introduces Field of Dreams, an immersive art installation by artist Claire Luxton in collaboration with MTArt Agency. Suspended in Turbine Hall A, the botanical-inspired artwork explores nature's role in mental health. Visitors can experience its intricate layers and accompanying fragrance by Penhaligon. Additionally, a digital artwork will be displayed in Turbine Hall B, and a limited-edition Field of Dreams inspired cocktail created with Claire Luxton will be served at Searcys Champagne Bar. Shoppers can also personalise purchases at the Botanical Atelier embroidery pop-up.
Date: 29 April - 16 June 2024. Location: Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD.
Twelfth Night (or What You Will)
Twelfth Night will go on show at The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
#FLODown: As the start of summer nears, the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre prepares to launch its season with Twelfth Night in May. Against the backdrop of a moonlit cafe overlooking the sea, the play unfolds with Viola's arrival after a shipwreck, sparking a whirlwind of disguise and intrigue. Directed by Owen Horsley, the production promises a blend of joy, nostalgia, and raucous celebration, set against the Mediterranean sun. Starring Raphael Bushay, Richard Cant, Sally Cheng, and a talented ensemble, the play invites audiences to revel in Shakespeare's timeless comedy of mistaken identities and love.
Date: 3 May – 8 June 2024. Location: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre,The Regent's Park, Inner Cir, London NW1 4NU. Price: £15 - £65. Book now.
Chelsea Barracks x House & Garden Spring Fair
Chelsea Barracks Spring Fair returns in May in celebration of RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
#FLODown: Experience Chelsea Barracks at its finest during the Spring Fair in May. As the gardens bloom in celebration of the Chelsea Flower Show, Chelsea Barracks will become a vibrant hub of shopping, talks, seminars, and dinning experiences. At the heart of the Fair lies the artisan market, offering stylish shopping opportunities from independent makers and brands like Sharland England, The Oxton Liqueur Company, and Gaze Burvill. In collaboration with House & Garden, seminars will be led by their editors in conversation with prominent figures in design and horticulture,
Date: 22 – 25 May 2024. Location: Chelsea Barracks. Website: chelseabarracks.
Gerhard Richter: STRIP-TOWER
STRIP-TOWER (2023) by Gerhard Richter © 2024, Gerhard Richter, Prudence Cuming Associates.
#FLODown: The Serpentine Galleries and The Royal Parks unveil Gerhard Richter's monumental sculpture STRIP-TOWER (2023) in Kensington Gardens. Drawing from Richter's exploration of painting, photography, and abstraction, the sculpture invites viewers to engage with its vibrant forms.
Date: 25 April – 27 October 2024. Location: Kensington Gardens, Serpentine South Gallery. Price: Free.
Lift 109 Lates: Skyline Sketching
Skyline Sketching will take place at Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station throughout May.
#FLODown: Experience creativity at new heights with Lift 109 Lates: Skyline Sketching! Lift 109 announces its latest after-hours event, inviting visitors to ascend Battersea Power Station's northwest chimney in a glass elevator. At 109 meters high, guests will sketch London's iconic landmarks under the guidance of professional tutors from London Fine Art Studios. Tickets include materials and a glass of champagne.
Date: 1, 8, 16 and 23 May 2024. Location: Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD.Price: £45. Book now.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024
Chelsea Flower Show. Photo by Goran Eidens.
#FLODown: The RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns to London in May, featuring a theme celebrating the legacy of Octavia Hill, a pioneering social reformer and founder of the National Trust. Organised in collaboration with Blue Diamond Garden Centres and Ann-Marie Powell Gardens, the show highlights Hill's advocacy for accessible green spaces and the joy of plants and flowers in everyone's life, emphasising the transformative power of gardens for wellbeing.
Date: 21 - 25 May 2024. Location: Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3 4SL. Price: from £47.85. Book now.
Chelsea in Bloom 2024
King Kong Chelsea in Bloom 2023. Photo by MTotoe.
#FLODown: Chelsea in Bloom returns during RHS Chelsea Flower Show, transforming Chelsea's streets with vibrant floral displays. The event, organised by Cadogan in collaboration with the RHS, features retailers, restaurants, and hotels competing with creative floral designs. This year's theme, 'Floral Feasts', celebrates Chelsea's botanical heritage and culinary culture, drawing inspiration from food-related themes in various media. Winners are chosen by expert judges, with the public voting for the People's Champion Award.
Date: 20-26 May 2024. Location: Chelsea.
REVERB by The Vinyl Factory
Virgil Abloh, 12-inch voices. REVERB by The Vinyl Factory opens at 180 Studios in May 2024.
#FLODown: REVERB, an exhibition presented by The Vinyl Factory at 180 Studios, offers an immersive experience showcasing over 100 artists and musicians. The exhibit will feature a dynamic blend of installations, live performances, and thought-provoking discussions, focusing on the intersection of art and sound. Notable contributors include Theaster Gates, Es Devlin, and Julianknxx, alongside premieres by Kahlil Joseph and the late Virgil Abloh.
Date: 23 May – 28 September 2024. Location: 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA.Website: 180studios.com
Click here to discover more art exhibitions opening in London in May 2024.
War Child x Art on a Postcard
Bid on an original mini masterpiece by emerging and established artists, with proceeds donated to War Child.
#FLODown: Art on a Postcard (AOAP) collaborates with War Child for its second guest postcard auction, with bidding starting at £50. The auction features international artists, including Dave Gamble, Tahnee Lonsdale, Sarah Ball, Mandy El-Sayegh, Alex Foxton, and others. Proceeds support War Child's efforts to aid children in conflict zones. Bidders can view the artworks at The Fitzrovia Gallery on 30 April before the auction closes on 7 May.
To view and bid on works: theauctioncollective.com.
