Explore FORM Festival and New York’s Frieze fair.
Our monthly events calendar was created to help high performers stay on top of the best new lecture series, art exhibitions, films, and more. Here, our top picks for May.
Explore Frieze New York
May 2 to 5
At this year’s iteration of Frieze New York, works from more than 1,000 artists will be on display at Randall’s Island Park. Take in curated programming highlighting Latin art and virtual reality pieces, plus lectures and panel discussions.
Watch the Kentucky Derby
May 4
Cheer on the “fastest two minutes in sports” at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This will be the 145th year of the Derby, where you can sip on mint juleps, don a festive outfit (hats are preferred), and see it all go down.
Experience the FORM Festival
May 10 to 12
Expand your horizons at FORM, a festival of music, art, ideas, architecture, and wellness in Arcosanti, an experimental eco-city in Arizona. Listen to musician Florence Welch host an interview and reading with one of her favorite poets, attend a discussion hosted by Planned Parenthood, and take yoga classes with Equinox instructors as the sun dips below the canyon line.
Attend the UK's largest outdoor fitness festival
May 17 to 19
At the Hackney Festival of Fitness, the extensive lineup will include stand-up paddleboarding along the Hackney Canal and meditation accompanied by an eight-piece orchestra. The weekend culminates with a 5K race around the Hackney Marshes and the Hackney Half Marathon, with live entertainment at every mile mark.
Dine and drink at Bottlerock Napa Valley
May 24 to 26
Napa Valley’s three-day festival will feature musical acts like Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, and Neil Young. On the culinary stage, expect cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and more with food personalities and chefs paired with entertainers and athletes including MLB great Ken Griffey Jr. and veteran NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.
Upcoming events at The Shed Hudson Yards:
May 6 to June 1: Björk’s Cornucopia
This eight-concert engagement will be the multidisciplinary artist’s most elaborately staged concert to date. Olivier Rousteing, Balmain’s creative director, will design the costumes.
May 10: Art and Civil Disobedience with Boots Riley
Rapper, activist, and Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley gives a one-night-only lecture exploring themes of protest and resistance through poetry.