Our Guide to May in London
May is when Fitzrovia begins to flourish: longer days mean lighter evenings and more time for fun and activities right at your fingertips! With two bank holidays this month, it’s an ideal moment to plan a stay at The Newman and shape your time around the neighbourhood’s cultural calendar and vibrant dining scene, all just moments from your door.
For any assistance in curating your experience, please email our concierge team at concierge@thenewman.com.
ROSALIA: LUX TOUR 2026 O2 Arena. Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX
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Affordable Art Fair – Hampstead Heath Lower Fairground Site, Hampstead Heath, East Heath Road, London NW3 1TH.
showcasing the best in contemporary art from over 100 galleries from the UK and around the world. Discover the joy of collecting art, with 1,000s of stunning artworks from £100
Second Life Markets Is Bringing Vintage Protein Studios, 31 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch, EC2A 3EY
Second Life Markets, which pops-up all over Australia and Asia giving pre-loved goods a second life, is back in London for a spring edition of its vintage market. Taking over Protein Studios in Shoreditch for one day this May, Second Life will be bringing 90 stalls together so you can shop from local vintage stores, small businesses, pre-loved wardrobes, homewares, books, records and more.
Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta Various Locations
Each year up to fifty hot air balloons take flight across central London raising awareness and funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Leading the launch is the official Lord Mayor’s Appeal hot air balloon which carries both the Lady Mayor and Mayoral Consort. The troupe will be hoping to take off on May 11 at 05.30am from Battersea Power Station
Fitzrovia Chapel 2-minute walk from The Newman
Designed by John Loughborough Pearson RA in the Gothic Revival style with colourful interior decor using mosaics, the chapel was built between 1891 and 1892.Located in the central courtyard of the former Middlesex Hospital, which was rebuilt between 1929 and 1935 and demolished between 2008 and 2015, the hospital chapel was preserved as a Grade II* listed building and renamed as the Fitzrovia Chapel.
Chelsea Flower Show Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU (Nearest: Kingston train station, via SWR)
Plan a day out of London and visit the Hampton Court Palace, Roam through lush gardens, keeping your eyes peeled for elusive Lindt GOLD BUNNY statues peeking out from colourful daffodils or early Tulip buds.
Jolene’s Bridle Lane 13 Bridle Lane, Soho, W1F 9BT
Going to see Stranger Things on Stage as per our recommendation? Stop at Jolene and grab a coffee, inside the Aries flagship store on Bridle Lane, for something different! Jolene has a series of Insta-famous bakeries and restaurants across north and east London, now in Soho too!
74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy 74 Charlotte St., London W1T 4QH
74 is a chic yet playful restaurant on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, bringing a laidback touch to London’s contemporary cuisine scene. Led by award-winning chef Ben Murphy, expect plates that combine finesse with mischief.
Hawaiʻi a kingdom crossing oceans – British Museum British Museum, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG
To mark 200 years since King Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and Queen Kamāmalu travelled from Hawaiʻi to London (the first Hawaiian monarchs ever to visit the UK), the British Museum is hosting the Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans exhibition. The show brings that journey and the cultural exchange between the two nations, to life, through a range of objects not seen in the UK before.
Doja Cat: Tour Ma Vie World Tour 02 Arena, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX
Experience a night to remember with tickets to Doja Cat’s iconic world tour. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Immersive David Bowie Experience 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, London, N1C 4DY
It’s been ten years since David Bowie died but London’s love for the iconic artist is stronger than ever – the David Bowie Centre is drawing visitors to the V&A East to explore his archive, his childhood home is being restored and opened to the public, and now a new immersive experience is coming to Lightroom.
Bubble Planet London Unit 22 Fulton Road, Wembley
Bubble Planet is an immersive experience in which you’ll surround yourself with bubbles like never before! Step into a planet beyond your imagination with VR technology, themed rooms, fantastical landscapes, and even a hot air balloon flight simulator. Jump from one immersive space to the next and explore them all with your five senses!
Fitzrovia Mural 8 Tottenham St, London W1T 4RB
The mural was created in 1980 by Mick Jones and Simon Barber, collectively known as the Art-Workers Co-Op. The work reportedly took six months to plan out, and another 10 weeks to execute. By 2010, the mural was in a parlous state, much faded and tagged with graffiti. Happily, it’s since been rescued and restored, with help from Global Street Art. Today, the colours are so vivid, you wouldn’t guess it’s well into its fifth decade.
TUTANKHAMUN: The Immersive Experience Immerse LDN at Excel, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL
For the first time in London, discover the legend of the Boy King like never before! Step into ancient Egypt with stunning 8m-high video mapping, a 360º VR journey, an interactive Metaverse, authentic artefacts from Cairo, and a world-first hologram unveiling the secrets of Tutankhamun’s mummification.
Titanique with Celine Dion Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Picadilly, SW1Y 4XA
When the music of Celine Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar winning film Titanic, you get TITANIQUE, a musical celebration that turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical and joyful slay-fest.
Private Guided Tour London
Ever wondered about the stories hidden behind London’s famous black doors and ancient alleyways? Come spend a few hours with us for a relaxed, friendly wander through the heart of the city!
This isn’t your typical “dates and battles” history tour. Instead, this takes focus on the juicy bits—the quirky curiosities, the “did you know?” facts, and the secret spots that even some locals walk right past. From tiny statues to hidden gardens and the origins of London’s weirdest traditions, you’ll see a side of the city that most tourists completely miss.
Taylors Buttons 22 Cleveland Street London W1T 4JB
The Taylors Button Shop has been established in London over 100 years and operates a highly specialised business in hand covered fabric buttons for wedding dresses, evening wear, hand made fabric upholstery buttons, vintage buttons, dyed buttons, handmade buckles and belts, and are one of the few companies in the heart of the West End that still offer a walk in while you wait bespoke hand made covered button service.
Then and Now: London’s transport in photographs London Transport Museum, London WC2E 7BB
London Transport Museum is celebrating the 25th anniversary of TfL and showing how public transport in the city has changed over the last 160 years. Historical images from the Museum’s collection are on display alongside newly commissioned images taken by photographer and TfL train driver Anne Maningas, who shot her photographs on a vintage Bronica medium format film camera from the 1990s.
Bike Tour with Falcons of Fitzrovia Contact concierge to schedule
Personal and story-rich way to experience London. Experience London in an unique way with a private tour guide and on top a top spec electric bike, allowing you to see the city in a swift way while doing exercise! At every stop, your guide captures high-quality, candid photos throughout the tour, turning unforgettable memories into beautiful keepsakes.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Phoenix Theatre, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0JP
Experience the world of Stranger Things like never before at the Phoenix Theatre. Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.