If you’re looking to make the most of London this May.

A three-day arts takeover is coming to Peckham as WePresent launches its Spring Show at Copeland Gallery from 8th to 10th May 2026.

At the heart of the WePresent Spring Show is “On Belonging”, a specially curated exhibition exploring themes of identity and community. The show brings together artists from WePresent Selects, the platform’s ongoing monthly series spotlighting emerging creative talent from around the world. Expect a public programme of exhibitions, film screenings, talks, DJs, and a pop-up shop.

A purpose-built cinema space will screen WePresent’s award-winning short film commissions throughout the weekend, with work from directors including Aneil Karia, Akinola Davies Jr., Nadia Hallgren, Jamie-James Medina and Amrou Al-Kadhi.

A dedicated library room will showcase WePresent’s publishing projects, including NOUR, a poetry book created with Mustafa, and Holy Ohio, a sold-out photography title by Nadia Lee Cohen. 

Queer East is a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities. The festival runs from Sunday 10th May to Thursday 28th May in venues across London, exploring notions of what it means to be queer and Asian today.

Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4 is Park Theatre’s most entertaining mystery yet. A riotous blend of comedy, music, and improvisation. Featuring a talented cast of actor-musicians and a live saloon pianist, this wild west whodunnit comes to life with toe-tapping tunes, unexpected twists, and even a few rollicking audience singalongs.

Each performance sees a different celebrity take on the role of the Sheriff. They have never seen the script before, and must bluff their way through the show. Recently announced celebrities include Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson, Munya Chawawa, Simon Pegg, Emma Thompson and many more.

A landmark collaboration between the V&A and the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane.

Rising Voices will offer an unparalleled view of the Asia Pacific region’s dynamic creative landscape. Foregrounding First Nations perspectives and diverse artistic approaches, the exhibition will feature rare works by over 40 pioneering creatives.

Somerset House presents Holy Pop!, an exhibition celebrating the world of modern shrines; the objects and collections through which people honour heroes, celebrities, and cult icons.

The way we idolise pop stars, cult icons, and even fictional characters has become a modern form of devotion. Holy Pop! explores the fascinating world of contemporary shrines.

From Princess Diana to Andy Warhol, Prince and Harry Potter’s Dobby the Elf, this exhibition uncovers how fan devotion shapes our identities and brings us together. In a fast-moving digital age, it’s a celebration of human connection, community, and the physical objects that anchor our fascination with pop culture.

Banana Cabaret is having its final act and retiring from the stage. They are celebrating the close of their 43 year residency at The Bedford in Balham with a FAREWELL FESTIVAL running from Friday, 1st to Saturday, 30th May.

Opening in 1983, Banana Cabaret comedy club was at the forefront of the alternative comedy movement, welcoming all the greats over the years. Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jo Brand, Catherine Tate, Jack Dee, Rob Brydon, Sarah Millican and all your favourite household name comedians, cut their standup teeth there.

Fleet Street Quarter’s Festival of Words returns from 12th -16th May 2026, bringing five days of enriching and diverse conversations to this historic western side of the City of London. Featuring an array of authors, journalists, and thinkers across multiple genres, the Festival of Words celebrates Fleet Street Quarter as the place where stories have always been born.

The theme this year takes inspiration from the famous opening lines of Charles Dickens’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness'.

There are over 40 events examining and celebrating what drives this 'Age of Wisdom and Foolishness', the ideas right or wrong that challenge what has gone before and seek to predict what will come next.