ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

London Art Guide May 2026: Premieres, Fairs, and Performances

festival-fair · 2026-04-29

May 2026 in London showcases a vibrant array of artistic events. The all-male comedic dance troupe, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, will perform at Sadlers Wells on May 5 and 6, marking their 50th Anniversary with the UK premiere of Metal Garden. The Affordable Art Fair is set for Hampstead Heath from May 6 to 10, while London Craft Week takes place from May 11 to 17. The European Writers' Festival at the British Library's Pigott Theatre features Jáchym Topol, Anne-Marie Reuter, and Sara Stridsberg on May 16-17. Additionally, the London Gay Men's Chorus celebrates its 35th anniversary with MOMENTus at the Pan Pacific Hotel from May 22-24. Other highlights include Photo London at Olympia from May 14-17 and a Festival of Korean Dance from May 13-30.

Key facts

  • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo performs at Sadlers Wells on 5 and 6 May 2026.
  • Ceramic Art London is at Olympia from 8 to 10 May 2026.
  • Photo London moves to Olympia, running 14-17 May with VIP preview on 13 May.
  • London Gay Men's Chorus presents MOMENTus at Pan Pacific Hotel from 22-24 May.
  • Affordable Art Fair returns to Hampstead Heath from 6 to 10 May.
  • European Writers' Festival at British Library features Jáchym Topol, Anne-Marie Reuter, Sara Stridsberg.
  • Brighton Fringe runs 1-31 May; Brighton Festival runs 1-25 May.
  • A Festival of Korean Dance runs 13-30 May at The Place and other UK venues.

Entities

Artists

  • Glenda
  • Rita
  • Jáchym Topol
  • Anne-Marie Reuter
  • Sara Stridsberg
  • Jonny Woo
  • Young-doo Jung
  • Hugh Bonneville
  • Maggie Siff
  • Lesley Manville
  • Aidan Turner
  • Griff Rhys Jones
  • Cynthia Erivo
  • Rosamund Pike
  • Mason Alexander Park
  • Felicity Kendall
  • Freddie Fox
  • Ralph Fiennes
  • Miranda Raison
  • Jinkx Monsoon
  • Gary Oldman
  • Mark Gatiss
  • David Haig
  • Hadley Fraser
  • Megan Dalla-Camina
  • Dr Diana Carroll

Institutions

  • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
  • Sadlers Wells
  • Craft Potters Association of Great Britain
  • Olympia
  • Photo London
  • Nikon
  • London Gay Men's Chorus
  • Terrence Higgins Trust
  • Pan Pacific Hotel
  • Affordable Art Fair
  • London Craft Week
  • Wimbledon Art Fair
  • Wimbledon Art Studios
  • British Library
  • Pigott Theatre
  • Brighton Fringe
  • Brighton Festival
  • A Festival of Korean Dance
  • The Place
  • Korea National Contemporary Dance Company
  • 99 Art Company
  • Ryu and Friends
  • Aldwych Theatre
  • Lyttelton Theatre
  • Apollo Theatre
  • Noël Coward Theatre
  • Wyndham's Theatre
  • Trafalgar Theatre
  • Barbican Theatre
  • Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Soho Theatre
  • Royal Court Theatre
  • RSC's Swan Theatre
  • Chichester Festival Theatre
  • ArtsHub
  • The Sydney Morning Herald
  • The Australian
  • Woman's Day
  • B&T
  • Thames & Hudson

Locations

  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Brighton
  • Hampstead Heath
  • Kensington
  • Olympia
  • Pan Pacific Hotel
  • British Library
  • Pigott Theatre
  • The Place
  • Glasgow
  • Bournemouth
  • Newcastle
  • Manchester
  • Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Chichester
  • Adelaide
  • Australia

Sources