The first major British mono-exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán, one of the major painters of the Spanish Baroque alongside Velázquez and Murillo. It shows Zurbarán not only as the author of powerful religious paintings, but also as a keen observer of reality. Special emphasis is placed on his famous ability to transform saints into almost earthly characters – through the texture of wool, leather, embroidery, fine cords and draperies. Key works include Agnus Dei, The Crucifixion, Saint Apollonia and Saint Casilda from the National Gallery collection.
May 2-Aug. 23
Tomorrow at Kew you can see monumental sculptures and chamber works by Henry Moore, one of Britain’s most famous artists. This is the largest ever outdoor exhibition of his works. As the organizers promise, the works are placed to enter into dialogue with plants and landscapes, showing how sculpture can both respond to space and change its perception.
May 9 through January 31, 2027
You’ve probably at least once seen the figures of Punch and his wife Judy, characters from traditional British puppet theater. The oldest puppet festival in Britain, which will be held in Covent Garden, is dedicated to them. It starts at 11:00 with a large procession of puppets and puppeteers accompanied by a brass band. At noon there will be a special service inside St Paul’s Church with Mr. Punch himself in attendance. In the afternoon, guests can expect puppet theater performances, as well as clowns, magicians, stilt walkers and pearly kings and queens – “street royalty,” a separate historical entertainment.
May 10
A week of crafts, design and workshops across the city, featuring over a thousand artisans from ceramists, jewelers and weavers to restorers, furniture makers, glass, metal, leather and textile artists. The main beauty of London Craft Week is that it is a chance to see not only the finished object, but also the process itself: how to weave, blow glass, paint ceramics, work with wood. There are over 150 venues, but Secret Ceramics and Crafted at Sotheby’s, international pavilions with Korean, Thai, Japanese and other crafts, and a program at Oxo Tower Wharf are particularly interesting.
May 11-17.
London’s premier photography fair is opening a new chapter: after ten years at Somerset House, it is moving to Olympia London, a larger venue in Kensington with more space for gallery stands, public talks and special projects.
The highlight of the year is an exhibition of works by Steven Meisel, one of the most influential fashion photographers of the last decades. Also on the program are installations, publishing projects and a series of conversations with artists, curators, editors and collectors. So it’s a great chance to see a whole cross-section of visual culture and trends today.
May 14-17, VIP Preview – May 13
May’s most photogenic festival-competition is also free: for a week, Chelsea’s windows, facades and streets will be transformed into an open gallery of floristry. This year’s theme is Out of this World, so the city is expecting not just beautiful bouquets, but floral fantasies about space, astrology and intergalactic worlds. The winners will be chosen by an expert jury, and the People’s Champion Award can be voted for on the festival’s website.
May 18-24.
The largest European retrospective of James McNeil Whistler, a key figure in the transition from Victorian painting to modernism, a cosmopolitan and scandalous hero of the London art scene. For the first time, his teenage years will be represented through study works created at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The exhibition will also show famous nocturnes, portraits, graphics, designs and one of the most recognizable paintings of the 19th century, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, better known as Portrait of the Artist’s Mother.
May 21-September 27
South London’s open-air electronic and club music festival. The line-up includes Giggs, CASISDEAD, D Double E, Conducta, Mala and dozens more artists that showcase the festival’s range well: from rap and grime to house, techno and more experimental electronica. But the main thing here is the atmosphere: the dance floor right on the grass, the South London energy and the feeling that the summer season in London has finally officially started.
May 22-24.
Two days of street food, craft drinks, live music – plus, one of the best views of the city from South Terrace. The festival brings together more than 20 of the city’s food traders: including Caribbean Jerk Hub, Latin American cuisine from Latin Soul, soft steamed bao from YouBao and desserts from Bambam Crepes, Waffle Float and Oh Baby. Admission is free, and the only thing organizers ask is that you come hungry.
May 23-24.
At the end of May, Brockwell Park turns into a big festival cluster, with four different Brockwell Live music events taking place over two weeks.
Field Day opens the program on May 23 – a day of electronic music and club culture. The line-up includes Floating Points Live, Honey Dijon and others. May 24 is Cross The Tracks with a sunnier and more adult vibe: jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop, with a focus on genre legends as well as new artists. May 25 is City Splash, a day of Caribbean and African music, the most danceable point of the first festival wave. Rounding things out is the Mighty Hoopla Pop Festival May 30-31. This year’s top names include Lily Allen and the Scissor Sisters, as well as Jessie J, JLS, Perrie and more.
May 23-31.
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