Editors’ Picks: 10 of the best global events for May 2025
Sporting thrills, architectural inspiration, fresh design, cool culture and nourishment from nature are on the agenda this May. Spin the Forbes Global Properties globe for inspiration.
Kentucky Derby
Louisville, KY, USA
May 2-3, 2025
In a world where online betting is the norm, nothing beats the electric energy of live horse racing. “The most exciting two minutes in sport” returns with 19 contenders and some of the racing world’s finest people-watching opportunities. And when in Kentucky, it would be rude not to sample the state’s most famous export, bourbon. Headline sponsor Woodford Reserve makes that part of the day an easy bet.
Mediterranean Yacht Show
Napflion, Greece
May 3-7, 2025
The 10th edition of the Mediterranean Yacht Show (MEDYS) returns to the Greek city of Napflion, welcoming crew and crafts from around the world for this showcase of the latest in charters and maritime experiences. Last year’s MEDYS welcomed 760 industry professionals from 30 countries to share insights and, let’s be honest, show off some of the world’s finest vessels—as long as they’re at least 24 meters end to end.
Indie Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal
May 1-11, 2025
In the run up to the 78th Cannes Film Festival (May 13-25, 2025) is the Portuguese capital’s celebration of independent filmmaking. A programme of 238 international films—shorts, documentary, drama, animation—proves that smaller budgets are no impediment to imagination and creativity.
Canadian Tulip Festival
Ottawa, Ontario
May 9-19, 2025
Not just the domain of the Dutch, ‘tulipmania’ annually takes over Canada’s capital city as over a million flowering stems in 100 varieties create a colorful carpet of blooms across Ottawa and neighboring Gatineau, Québec. Self-guided tours, talks, films and a bulb market draw gardeners and superfans of the tulip, once so prized in 17th-century Holland that a single Semper Augustus bulb cost, at its peak, the same as a luxuriously appointed house in the most desirable district of Amsterdam.
Kyotographie
Kyoto, Japan
April 12 – May 11, 2025
Launched in 2013, the annual international festival of photography is now a major cultural event in Japan’s ancient former capital. A dramatic setting for the festival founders’ vision of turning Kyoto into a cultural playground, introducing new audiences to fresh and established photographers. Just as the sakura cherry blossom season comes to its end, visitors have a good reason to hang around for a different kind of visual pleasure.
Design Week Melbourne
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
May 15-25, 2025
Exhibitions, films, workshops, walking tours and the Melbourne Art Book Fair at seven key venues, including the Melbourne School of Design, rightly prop up the reputation of this vibrant urban hotspot as a UNESCO City of Literature and a hub for creative excellence. Nearby Ballarat has been quietly fostering a community of artists and highly skilled traditional craftspeople—a worthwhile diversion from the main event.
World Whisky Day
Global
May 17, 2025
Ask any devotee of the amber nectar and they’ll tell you that every day is World Whisky Day. But if you needed an excuse to literally crack open a special bottle, Glenrothes provides a new take. The Speyside distillery renowned for its exceptional water and slow distillation methods has produced a rarity: a very limited release of 100 bottles of Glenrothes 51, matured in just two casks for 51 years. Buyers (willing to invest £37,000 / $46,500) will only be able to see the bottle once they crack into and destory its Jesmonite casing. They can then opt to return the shattered pieces to a kintsugi artist, who will use the Japanese method of ‘golden repair’ to create a unique piece of art. Crack on.
PGA Championship
Charlotte, NC, USA
May 12-18, 2025
It’s one of the most-watched events on the golfing calendar and this year’s Championship at Charlotte’s picturesque Quail Hollow course to drawa around 200,000 spectators. The big hitters will be there, including Rory McIlroy, freshly green-jacketed at the 2025 Masters Tournament, and last year’s PGA leaders, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.
Biennale Architettura
Venice, Italy
May 10 – Nov 23, 2025
The architecture world’s biggest biannual show kicks off in May with curator Carlo Ratti’s theme Intelligens. Natural. Artifical. Collective. Expect provocative exhibitions, immersive talks, awards and the eternal allure of Venice over the next six months.
Monaco Grand Prix
Monte Carlo, Monaco
May 23-25, 2025
Ear defenders on, champagne chilling. The 2025 Formula 1 season kicked off in March with the Australian Grand Prix and will culminate in Abu Dhabi in December. But it’s always Monaco—the iconic Grand Prix race—that gets even the most laidback petrolhead’s enging revving. Eight new drivers will make their debut here, and as the great Lewis Hamilton joins the Ferrari team, the buzz is as loud as the cars.
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