May Monthly Events: What To Look Forward To in May?
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If April is the month that wakes the world up, May is the month that hits the ground running. The days are longer, the weather is warming up across the Northern Hemisphere, and the events calendar is absolutely relentless. I’ve been looking into what actually happens in May around the world, and the honest answer is: a lot. Here’s my attempt to make sense of it.
May Day: Ancient Roots, Modern Meaning
May 1st carries more weight than most people realise. Across the world, it means very different things depending on where you are, but almost everywhere it means something.
International Workers’ Day, also called Labour Day, is a public holiday in over 80 countries on May 1st. Marches, rallies, and community events mark workers’ rights across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In cities like Paris, Berlin, and Istanbul, the demonstrations can be enormous. In Cuba and North Korea, it’s one of the biggest state celebrations of the year.
At the same time, the ancient tradition of Beltane is quietly making a comeback. The Celtic festival marking the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice is observed with bonfires and gatherings in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and increasingly by pagan communities worldwide. The Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh on the night of April 30th into May 1st is a spectacular and theatrical event. beltane.org has tickets and information.
In many English villages, Maypole dancing still happens on May Day. It’s one of those things that feels almost impossibly quaint until you actually see it, at which point it becomes completely charming. The village of Padstow in Cornwall holds a famous May Day celebration called Obby Oss that draws visitors from across the country.
Cannes Film Festival: Cinema’s Biggest Moment
The Cannes Film Festival runs for roughly two weeks in mid to late May and is one of the most glamorous and genuinely important events in the cultural calendar. It’s held on the French Riviera, it has the red carpet, it has the Palme d’Or, and it has more drama both on and off screen than almost anywhere else on earth.
Most screenings and industry events are credential-only, but the public screenings programme lets ordinary film lovers attend evening screenings on the beach and experience the festival atmosphere without an industry pass. The town of Cannes is entirely transformed during the festival fortnight.
Even if you’re watching from home, Cannes shapes the conversation around cinema for the rest of the year. The films that win or generate buzz here tend to dominate awards seasons and cultural discussions right through to December. festival-cannes.com has the full programme each year.
If you’re a film fan who hasn’t yet put Cannes on the radar, May is the moment to start paying attention. The red carpet arrivals alone are worth following.
Vesak: Buddhism’s Most Sacred Day
Vesak, also known as Buddha Day or Buddha Purnima, falls on the full moon of May. It marks the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama. It is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. And is observed by hundreds of millions of people across Asia and beyond.
In Sri Lanka, celebrations include lantern processions, decorated streets, and acts of charity and meditation throughout the day. Thailand have Visakha Bucha, and temples across the country hold candlelit processions at dusk that are hauntingly beautiful. In Japan, the birth of the Buddha is celebrated with a sweet tea ceremony at temples called Hanamatsuri. It actually falls in April, but regional variations continue into May.
The United Nations officially recognises Vesak as an international observance. In cities with significant Buddhist communities, including London, San Francisco, Sydney, and Toronto, temple events are often open to visitors. buddhanet.net is a good resource for finding local events.
It’s one of those observances that rewards a little curiosity. Even attending a local temple on Vesak simply to observe and be respectful is a genuinely enriching experience.
Chelsea Flower Show and the Great British Garden Season
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is held in the last week of May. It is one of the most famous horticultural events in the world. Held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, it draws garden designers, plant enthusiasts, and royalty alike. The show gardens are extraordinary feats of creativity. And the plant market is dangerous for anyone with even a passing interest in growing things.
Tickets sell out months in advance, particularly for the preview days. rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show is where to book and browse.
Chelsea also marks the real start of the British garden show season. It rolls on through summer with events like Hampton Court, Tatton Park, and countless smaller regional shows. If gardens are your thing, May is genuinely the best time to be in the UK.
Outside the UK, Floralia floral festivals happen across the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of northern France in May. The flower parade through Zundert and the carpet of flowers on Grand Place in Brussels are both spectacular. Although the Brussels event peaks in August.
Sport: Monaco, Wembley, and the Indy 500
May is one of the richest months in sport, and its events have a particular prestige that sets this month apart.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the most glamorous race in Formula 1 and one of the most iconic sporting events anywhere in the world. The circuit winds through the streets of Monte Carlo, past superyachts and casino terraces, in a way that makes it unlike any other race on the calendar. formula1.com has race dates and ticketing links.
The FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London typically falls in late May and is one of the most storied events in English football. Even for neutral fans, the atmosphere and history of the occasion are worth noting. thefa.com has all the details.
The Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend in the USA is one of motorsport’s crown jewels. It draws enormous crowds to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s one of the three races that make up the unofficial Triple Crown of motorsport. indianapolismotorspeedway.com covers tickets and race info.
Roland Garros, the French Open tennis Grand Slam, begins in late May and runs into June. The red clay courts produce long, gruelling matches and a very different kind of tennis from the rest of the season. rolandgarros.com has tickets and broadcast details.
Memorial Day and Global Remembrance
Memorial Day in the USA falls on the last Monday of May. It is a federal holiday honouring military personnel who have died in service. It’s marked with ceremonies at cemeteries and memorials across the country. The most significant being at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. arlingtoncemetery.mil has information about observances.
Beyond the formal observances, Memorial Day weekend has become the unofficial start of summer in the USA. Beach towns fill up, barbecues fire up, and the long weekend kicks off the season. In a way that’s tangible everywhere from Maine to California.
In a similar spirit, many European countries hold remembrance events in May. In honour of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) on May 8th. The end of the Second World War in Europe is marked with ceremonies, parades, and moments of reflection in the UK, France, Russia, and across the continent. In the UK, iwm.org.uk runs events and has educational resources.
In Israel, Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for fallen soldiers) falls in early May, immediately followed by Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day). The contrast between these two consecutive days, moving from solemn remembrance to joyful celebration, is deeply meaningful in Israeli culture.
Festivals, Flavours, and Strange Traditions
May has a remarkable collection of food festivals, community events, and outright bizarre traditions that I couldn’t leave out.
Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire, England, finally arrives in late May after several months of anticipation. People hurl themselves down a near-vertical hill chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese at speeds that make watching deeply uncomfortable. There is no prize except the cheese. It is not officially sanctioned. It happens anyway, every year, because Britain. cheese-rolling.co.uk has everything you need to know.
Cinco de Mayo on May 5th is often misunderstood. It doesn’t celebrate Mexican Independence (that’s September 16th). Instead, it marks a specific Mexican military victory over French forces in 1862. In Mexico, it’s a relatively modest regional celebration. In the USA, however, it has grown into a broad cultural celebration of Mexican heritage, particularly in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Antonio.
The World Barbecue Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, better known as Memphis in May, is one of the great American food events. Teams from across the world compete for the title of best BBQ, and the smells alone are reportedly worth the trip. memphisinmay.org has the full festival programme.
In Spain, Las Fallas in Valencia wraps up in March, but Feria de Abril in Seville takes place in May and is one of the most joyful and colourful celebrations in Europe, with flamenco dancing, horseback riding, and fairground rides filling the city for a week.
Nature and the Great Outdoors in May
May might be the single best month to be outside in the Northern Hemisphere. The conditions are near-perfect across a huge range of destinations.
Whale watching is excellent in May off the coasts of Iceland, the Azores, New England, and British Columbia. Humpbacks are particularly active during this period. whalewatch.is covers Icelandic tours, while azoreswhalewatch.com covers Portugal.
Wildflower season in the American West peaks in May. The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in California is one of the most vivid displays of colour in nature when conditions are right. parks.ca.gov tracks bloom conditions.
In the UK, puffin season begins properly in May on islands like Skomer in Wales, Skye in Scotland, and the Farne Islands in Northumberland. These birds are astonishing to watch, and May is when colonies are at their most active and accessible. The Wildlife Trust lists guided trips and viewing information.
Midnight sun season begins in late May in northern Norway, Iceland, and parts of Finland and Sweden. The sun doesn’t fully set, the light turns golden and extraordinary, and the experience of a midnight walk in full daylight is genuinely difficult to explain until you’ve done it.
A Few Tips for Making May Count
May tends to fill up faster than you’d expect. Here’s what I’ve found worth knowing.
Chelsea Flower Show tickets for the main public days go on sale in the autumn of the previous year, and the best sessions sell out quickly. If it’s on your list, set a reminder for when sales open rather than assuming you can buy nearer the time.
Monaco Grand Prix hospitality and grandstand tickets are among the most expensive in sport. But watching in the city itself during qualifying, or from public viewing areas during race weekend, is free and offers more atmosphere than many paid events elsewhere.
For Cannes, the public beach screenings are free , but queues form early. Taking a folding chair and arriving an hour before doors open is the practical approach.
And if May in a northern European country feels like too much to organise, just go to a local park in the evening when the light is long and warm. May evenings in this part of the world are genuinely some of the best hours the whole year offers. They don’t cost anything, and they don’t require booking six months in advance.
What’s your favourite May event? I feel like this list barely scratches the surface, and I’d love suggestions for what I’ve missed.
