Hands down the best month of the year, May boasts two long weekends, which means more time to check out some of the UK's best beer gardens, restaurants, festivals, art exhibits and new releases.
Team Refinery29 has been pencilling a few things in the calendar – the Tate's Shape of Light exhibit is well worth a visit if you're a lover of photography – or if you're looking for some Insta-worthy photo opps, we recommend Sense of Space at Exchange Square, where you can immerse yourself in an infinity garden of cherry blossoms. For live music, there's BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend, where you can catch Florence + The Machine and Camila Cabello (among many others).
Click through to see the gigs, events, films and shows we're looking forward to in May...
Jess Commons, Health & Living Editor
The Bridge Season 4 , BBC Two, 11th May
This is my all-time favourite TV show, and Saga, played by Sofia Helin, is my all-time favourite TV character. This season – the final season – got incredible reviews in Sweden and I interviewed Sofia ahead of it – keep your eyes out for our interview, she’s a dream!
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4 , Netflix, 30th May
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt makes me smile. The unrelenting positivity of Ellie Kemper’s character can’t help but cheer up anyone who watches it. Kimmy for president.
Katy Harrington, Managing Editor
Shape of Light, 100 Years Of Photography And Abstract Art, Tate Modern, 2nd May – 14th October
I want to see (and do) more photography this summer so I’m starting with this. There will be 300 works on show and lots of good stuff from major contemporary artists such as Barbara Kasten, and new work by Maya Rochat and Daisuke Yokota.
The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward, out 5th June
I’ve just started reading Yrsa Daley-Ward’s memoir The Terrible. It’s a coming-of-age tale told in a mix of poetry and prose. Apparently she’s an amazing speaker so I’m going to go see her when she comes to the UK.
David Farrell, Performance Marketing Executive
BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend: Swansea, 26th-27th May
As a diehard pop fan, the lineup for this year’s Biggest Weekend does funny things to my body. It’s all my favourite artists in one place: Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith. I’d pay a wallet-evisceratingly large sum of money to see any one of those acts in concert on their own, but to see them one after another… be still my beating heart. And that’s just the headliners!
Chvrches, Love Is Dead, 25th May
If you wrote down a formula for my music taste on paper and brought it to life the result would sound something like Chvrches. Big synths, danceable-yet-morose beats, a strong female vocal – those are a few of my favourite things. Due to their indie roots and refusal to compromise their unique style, Chvrches have always managed to fly slightly under the radar, but with Adele collaborator Greg Kurstin acting as co-producer on their third album Love Is Dead, this could be Chvrches' big pop moment.
Kara Kia, Editorial Intern
Revenge, in cinemas 11th May
Three wealthy married men go on an annual hunting trip. One takes his mistress who, unbeknown to her, is the subject of their hunting game. They think they have killed her, but they're dead wrong, and she comes back for some ass-kicking revenge. Certified 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sense of Space, Exchange Square, until 18th May
I was living in Toronto when Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Rooms came to London and now that I'm a Londoner, Yayoi has taken her tour to Toronto. Alas. Sense of Space promises a similar experience with its well-received cherry blossom infinity garden. Plus three other Insta-worthy rooms for racking up those likes.
Nina Joyce, PR Director Europe
Hattie Stewart I Don't Have Time for This, NOW Gallery, 16th May – 25th June
You'll probably recognise the hand-drawn graphic refits Hattie Stewart does for magazine covers including Vogue, i-D and Playboy, but for this exhibition she invites you to get a little closer with a retina-rubbing large-scale artwork you can lie back and get lost in. Guaranteed to make you smile.
Fleabag UK tour, various venues, all of May
Fleabag (the TV series) heralded a monumental shift in the way flawed, mucky women are portrayed on our screens, but did you know creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge originally wrote the character for the stage? Don't miss the return of this gloriously filthy production.
Liv Santner, Graphic and Photography Intern
The Great Escape Festival, Brighton, 17th-19th May
The festival for new music, showcasing 450 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city. It’s the first place to discover your new favourite artist and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages: Dermot Kennedy, NAO, Hak Baker, Jordan Mackampa, and Yellow Days, to name a few of my favs.
Future Series, Victoria & Albert Museum, 18th May
It will be an evening of sensory experiences, interesting talks and hopefully food! Marije Vogelzang is one of the three speakers, she's an incredible food designer who has done projects about slow food, food waste, sensory experience and psychology. She sheds new light on how we should think about food and encourages designers to find solutions to the problems we are facing with our current food situation.
Natalie Gil, News Writer
I Feel Pretty, in cinemas 4th May
After reading so many think pieces and reviews of this film, I feel as if I’ve seen it already, so I should probably watch it myself to stop me from spouting off other people’s opinions.
AfroRepublik, the O2, 26th May
Wizkid, Yxng Bane, Not3s, Maleek Berry. These men have been dominating my music choices lately and I love them all, so I’m buzzing at the prospect of catching them all in one place. Shapes will be thrown.
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