London is one of the best places to be for the May Bank Holiday. Not only has daylight saving started and St George’s Day falling on the Tuesday after, but the summer is getting into full swing. The weather will be heating up and guests’ hotels near the London Barbican will be exposed to a wide range of celebrations and festivities to welcome in the summer. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting London at the height of Spring, then you’re in for a wide range of treats. Below are some of our favourite things to do during the upcoming May bank holiday. This May the bank holiday weekend falls on the 4th till the 6th of May.
London parks
The parks of London are the perfect space for a sunny afternoon this coming bank holiday weekend. Whether you decide to go to Hyde Park or to Richmond in West London, there are plenty of opportunities to keep you entertained over the weekend. Whether it’s a picnic or a stroll through wetlands, London offers up a vast amount of green spaces which will be especially vibrant over the long weekend. For East London canal side antics, Victoria Park never disappoints, especially with the nearby Hackney Wick offering up bars, restaurants and a lot of entertainment.
River Thames tour
What better way to use your bank holiday in London than a tour of the River Thames? With a wide range of Thames tour companies, such as the River Thames Evening Sightseeing Tour, you can enjoy a plethora drinks, and an informative guide as you make your leisurely way down the river.
Great Hampstead Bark Off
The Great Hampstead Bark Off takes place on Sunday the 5th of May and aims to raise money for the “All Dogs Matter” charity. As a dog show-cum-bake sale, this event takes place on Hampstead Heath and has many categories for your dog to compete in. This includes “best rescue dog” and “golden oldies”, ensuring a wide variety of animals. With tickets for dog entries starting at £5, this is a great value dog show with good intentions at its heart.
Check out the BBQ spots in the city
The May bank holiday will no doubt be one of the first weekends of the year where barbeques are literally and figuratively on the table. Barbequing in London is strictly regulated, leaving only a few prime locations to sizzle your sausages. London parks and reserves are often prohibited from fresh air fry ups to protect the all to precious nature in the city, but a few parks allow the very British past time. These include Highbury Fields and Caledonian Park in Islington, and London Fields in Hackney. All these spots are very close to public transport links, meaning that those staying at the Barbican rooms will find them easily accessible from the nearby Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.
Day trips out of London
Bank holidays are often the perfect time to take a trip out of the city. With an extra day to recoup from a Sunday outing, coastal cities and towns such as Brighton And Margate are a mere hour to 90 minutes train or car journey out of London. These seaside resorts offer up fresh air and a wide array of exciting activities and attractions, and taking just as long to get to as it would to cross London by bus (which we wouldn’t recommend)!
