Living
Global Calendar: The Top 5 Events This May
Movement, music and eclectic arts dominate our bucket list of must-visit events this month
Brighton Festival
Brighton, England
3-26 May 2025
Where else can you catch a bus-stop art exhibition and then watch gummy bears wage war, before sitting down to a performance by a Grammy-award-winning vocalist?
Combining theatre, dance and music with circus, comedy, literature, film, debate and more, Brighton Festival sees hundreds of performances, lectures, exhibitions and other events sprout up across the city – from the introspective to the retrospective, and the profound to the playful. This year, composer Anoushka Shankar takes over as guest director, with highlights including choreographer Ceyda Tanc’s world premiere of the all-female dance production AYNA; an immersive light-and-sound experience by electronic artist Max Cooper; and an exhibition in which photographs by Martin Parr and JJ Waller are fixed to the roofs of the city’s bus shelters, only to be viewed from the top deck of a bus – apparently a world first. Festival-goers who can’t get enough culture should check out Brighton Festival Fringe, which runs alongside the main event from 2 May until 1 June.
BaliSpirit Festival
Bali, Indonesia
7-11 May 2025
Are you taking a break from head-banging music festivals and seeking a deeper, calmer, healthier experience – one that’s more Pilates than parties, more “om” than “omg”? Perhaps BaliSpirit is your cup of (herbal) tea.
Seeking to rejuvenate, invigorate and enlighten participants, BaliSpirit emphasises exploration and renewal through wellness (yoga, dance, nutrition and health workshops), activities (music lessons, art classes, excursions to local temples and spiritual sites) and genuine connection with fellow travellers. Learn capoeira, join a drum circle, experience sound alchemy, or simply enjoy the awe-inspiring music by artists from around the world. Above all, get ready to participate and transform: BaliSpirit is a mind-expanding experience that eliminates the need for mind-expanding substances.
Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong
Hong Kong
22-25 May 2025
Art Basel this is not: you don’t have to be the heir to an empire to take home original artworks from this democratically inclined event. Here, there’s something for each and every taste and budget, whether you’re a new student of art, a seasoned collector or simply someone who likes pretty pictures.
Out with the old elitist art circles – in with a creative community that just wants people to be able to browse eye-catching artworks and buy what they like. The 2025 edition in Hong Kong will host 98 galleries and exhibitors from across the globe, encouraging visitors to browse a breathtaking array of works from talented contemporary artists sold at reasonable rates; all pieces are priced under USD 13,000, and the fair offers a wide selection under USD 1,300. Come for the chance to find your next favourite work of art – whether sculpture, painting or photography – and stay for the chance to meet artists, participate in workshops, attend talks, take tours and view performances in everything from dance to live painting. Can’t make it to Hong Kong in May? Affordable Art Fairs run throughout the year and around the world, from Berlin to Boston and Stockholm to Sydney.
Go Bike Montréal Festival
Montreal, Canada
25 May – 1 June 2025
For one week in late spring, the streets of the Québécois capital become a playground for pedal power, as amateurs and enthusiasts alike come out in force to celebrate the city’s cycling culture.
The event kicks off with a leisurely Sunday “Metropolitan Challenge” that invites cyclists to explore a scenic corner of the region, at their own pace, on an untimed course, with a distance of their choosing, ranging between 57 and 156 kilometres. The following weekend, the streets of Montréal are cleared of cars for blockbuster events Tour la Nuit and Tour de l’Île de Montréal: the former lights up the night with brightly clad cyclists parading through the evening avenues on a 25km route, while the latter is a full-on pedal party with live music, fancy dress and two lively biking courses – either 50 or 100 kilometres – for the whole family.
MTN Bushfire
Malkerns, Eswatini
30 May – 1 June 2025
A vibrant blend of music, arts, cultural activities and community outreach: if MTN Bushfire’s selling points and international accolades – not to mention the event name itself – are anything to go on, this festival is lit!
Hailed by news outlets like CNN and the BBC as one of the must-attend festivals on the African continent, MTN Bushfire draws more than 23,000 attendees from over 50 countries, all arriving to experience the overwhelming array of arts, crafts, food and music from Africa and beyond. Music may be the initial draw – multiple stages host a continual line-up of local and international artists – but it’s the festival’s intensely inclusive, creative and eco-responsible atmosphere that keeps everyone coming back. Enjoy the music, participate in interactive crafts and workshops, and indulge in amazing eats from around the world – but whatever you do, don’t forget to “Bring Your Fire”. That’s MTN Bushfire’s clarion call to action, encouraging participants to engage with the burning issues that touch us all, especially climate change and social responsibility.
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