Discover colourful carnivals, dramatic jousting, arts, comedy, and some great free family fun days out across South East England this May half term. The Spring Bank holiday weekend also means you'll find an ever-growing number of events and activities for all ages, to get you out and about making the most of the long weekend. Whether you live here or are just in the region for a day out or enjoying a weekend away, take a look and discover what's on this half term holidays.
Find something near you to enjoy in our featured list below from value-added activities to family-friendly events. Whether you are looking for something to do over half term in Hampshire or along the South Coast, in the Surrey countryside, or planning on touring around the destination, use the links above to search what's on or head to the bottom of the page for a full listing of events across the South East over the half term holidays.
Planning a May half-term holiday? Discover great value accommodation across the South East for a spring getaway. You can also search by destinations to link up with the local offical tourism websites across the region. Our newsletter archive and YouTube channel is also a great place to discover things to do in South East England.
May half term runs from Saturday 24th May to Sunday 1st June across South East England and includes the Spring Bank Holiday on Monday 28th May. This is the last of the three bank holidays in the UK in May. The May holidays generally bring brighter longer days, more consistent weather and see the South East welcoming a host of music events and food festivals, outdoor trails and evening events to keep everybody thoroughly entertained.
Find hundreds more events and things to do in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset this May Half Term holiday and Spring Bank holiday in our guide below. Whether you're looking for something near you, or if you are travelling to a part of South East England for a short break or day trip, use the 'map view' button to find something local.
Number of results: 130
, currently showing 61 to 80.
Food
Woodstock
The Food Festival is one of our most popular events and is set to return between Saturday 24th - Monday 26th May 2025.
Music
Winchester
Immerse yourself in the original, psychedelic, fulldome Planetarium visualisation of Pink Floyd's iconic album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
Head off on an emotional and inspiring journey into the heart and themes of the iconic album and songs. Fly…
Childrens Events
Berwick
Make wild memories this May half term at Drusillas Zoo Park!
Keep the kids half term happy with a zooper day out at Drusillas Park - voted one of the best days out with kids in Sussex!
Get nose-to-nose with 80 species of animal in our interactive…
Food
Shaves wood Lane, Albourne
Join us on Saturday, 24th May for a fantastic Sussex Cheese & Wine evening, where we'll be highlighting the award-winning High Weald Dairy with a carefully curated cheese tasting and paired wine flight.
Throughout the evening, you will learn about…
Food
Dorking
A relaxed tour, tasting and lunch is the perfect way to immerse yourself in a complete winery experience at Denbies Vineyard in Dorking.
School Holidays
Farnham
Don't miss out on this prehistoric extravaganza! Grab your family and friends for a dino-themed adventure!
Childrens Events
Winchester
Get set for some Brontosaurus-sized fun! Join us on a prehistoric time travel adventure to find out how our dinosaur friends lived in this exciting live science show.
The Dino Show is an action-packed family-friendly 20-minute live show that takes…
Tour
Rochester
Tour runs on Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 6pm.
As night falls over Rochester's ancient High Street, step beyond the gas-lit charm and into the shadows, where history refuses to rest. The Rochester High Street Ghost Tour will take you on a…
Exhibitions
Henley-on-Thames
We have lift off for all you space enthusiasts out there with The Space Vault Exhibition coming to the River & Rowing Museum this July.
Using immersive audio and visuals, and comprising one of the UK's largest private collections of space…
Walking
Sun Street, Canterbury
Have fun (re-)discovering Canterbury, spotting things you've never noticed before, with two quirky treasure hunt style heritage walks - a fun and affordable way to get some fresh air. Curious About Canterbury visits not just the obvious places, but…
Heritage & History
Ramsgate
Commemoration of the 85th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo, Ramsgate takes place with a series of events from Friday 16 to Monday 26 May 2025.
In May 1940, a rescue operation was implemented by the Royal Navy to evacuate British, French and…
Shopping
Watlington
There's nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables from a local food market when on holiday.
The Undercroft Market takes place every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the market town of Watlington, Oxfordshire
Performance
Portsmouth
The ultimate drag day out (voted the number one Drag Brunch event in the UK) heads to Portsmouth!
Theatre
Brighton
Our popular backstage tours are back!
Theatre
Winchester
The award-winning smash-hit comedy, as seen in the West End every week since 2022, and heard on BBC Radio 4, comes to you on a strictly limited tour.
The all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel, inspired…
Exhibitions
Aylesbury
In 2024, a cataloguing project in the Waddesdon Archive led to the rediscovery of an extraordinary collection: 229 letters and papers written or signed by some of history's most influential figures, including Elizabeth I, Benjamin Franklin, Lord…
Childrens Events
Selborne, Alton
Small Things with Wings- bugs, bees, beetles, flies
Wild Wednesdays are an hour of hands-on activities for children and their parents to experience local wildlife. Using the range of habitats at our site, each day has a different theme to introduce…
Shopping
Esher
Sandown Antiques Home & Interiors Fair is the destination for antique shoppers.
Come and experience the buzz first hand with an atmosphere filled with colour, character and fun – there's no other market like it!
Our team of seasoned…
Childrens Events
Winchester
When the Science Centre doors close, the cinema screen will be rolling!
Are you ready for a completely unique cinema experience? Grab a seat, sit back and relax as one of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, Apollo 13, plays out under the stars of the…
Music
Brighton
Weekly free entry, live music takes place at Bohemia in the heart of the historic Lanes at this artistic and quirky high-end cocktail bar & restaurant. Full line up of bands can be viewed on Bohemia's website. Food tables can also be booked via…