The return of Dalliance at Depot, May Fayre celebrations, bank holiday fun
That's right, it's the May 2025 issue of The Lewes List
Food & Drink
News: Fire & Wine Fridays are back at Artelium. Promising “long, light evenings … wine in hand. A feasting BBQ served straight from the fire, with a weekly special made for sharing.” Tonight (2 May), there’s a Spring Supper Club with a four-course seasonal menu by Michael Notman-Watt paired with sparkling wines. More here.
News: Squisito has opened a cocktail and wine bar, next to its restaurant in the Needlemakers. There are a few more details here.
News: Abyss has a regular programme of DJs in their taproom throughout May. Maximilius (60s garage and soul vs 80s soul and disco) plays on 3 May; The Third Room (jazz, soul, gospel and boogie) on 10 May; and Wyndham Earl (psychedelic rock, funk, Latin and jazz) on 24 May. More here.
News: Beak Brewery’s May line-up includes Chuckaburger on 2 May and Simply Tasty’s pie and mash across the 3-4 May weekend, with Fruitful Sounds DJs on the Saturday. On 4 May, Beak is also hosting May the Faults Be With You, an ‘off-flavour beer training session’ with That's the Beer Talking. See the rest of the month’s street food and events, every Friday to Sunday, here.
3 & 4 May: It must be spring… Dalliance at Depot is back with a double-bill this weekend. On Saturday, Ska Toons bring the music, with food from Happy Go Souvlaki. On Sunday, Bang Bang Meringue will plat reggae, Afrobeat, 80s, alternative and current grooves, with street food from JIAJA-Taiwan Bento. More here.
3-5 May: A bit further afield, the Brighton leg of the Foodies Festival takes place at Preston Park, featuring live music from the likes of Pixie Lott and cooking demonstrations by from TV chefs such as Matty Edgell (2023 Bake Off winner). Plus there’s street food vendors, markets and workshops. More here.
10 May: Field Food is hosting a fermentation workshop with Rachel de Thample, River Cottage’s fermentation expert. Participants will make their own kraut and kimchi using local, seasonal produce and enjoy a two-course lunch featuring fermented foods. More here.
Looking ahead: Showcasing the quality of Sussex and the wide South East’s wines, Winelands (22-29 June) will mark English Wine Week with a series of pop-up wine events, tastings, and vineyard tours across the region. Many of our favourite venues, shops and producers are taking part. There’s more here.
Culture
News: At the Con Club, Hilltop Sessions returns with singer-songwriters Harry Nye and Sekinue on 7 May (here), while The Mekons – “the most revolutionary group in the history of rock’n’roll,” according to Lester Bangs – play on 8 May (here).
News: The house at Firle Place reopens to the public on 4 May, offering centuries of art, antiques and beautiful gardens. More here.
News: It Takes a Village is a new exhibition at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, opening 5 July. Created with more than 50 contributors, the exhibition presents rarely seen discoveries alongside well-known pieces by craftspeople, including Ethel Mairet, Eric Gill, Joseph Cribb, David Jones and Amy Sawyer, to celebrate 40 years of the museum. This is not a static exhibition: local residents can add their own piece of local history to the museum’s Wunderkammer to help build a growing, community-sourced collection. More here.
News: Festival of the Garden returns to Charleston at Firle in July, with big ideas in ecology, design, growing and landscape with guest speakers including Alice Vincent, Alys Fowler, and John Little. More here.
News: As ever, there’s lots going on at Depot alongside its regular screenings. Highlights include Die Walküre from the Royal Opera House (14 and 18 May – tickets here), plus a season of films adapted from plays by Tennessee Williams, the great post-war American playwright (here).
10 May: Sofar Sounds present an intimate sunset concert on the terrace at Artelium, featuring three surprise acts – to be revealed only 36 hours before doors open. More here.
14-26 May: Charleston Festival is back again. While some of the really big names are now waiting-list only, there’s still a rich programme, including author Shon Faye, Goldsmiths Prize-winner Eimear McBride, screenwriter Nikesh Shukla and Nobel Prize-winner Abdulrazak Gurnah. More here.
24 May: Join a mono-printing and mark-making experimental day course with May Everett at the Paddock Art Studio (here); there’s also a weekend of Experimental Intaglio Printmaking on 7-8 June (here).
6-8 June: Lewes Music Festival is three days of music, stalls, food, camping and glamping, a Rugby 7s tournament on Saturday morning at Lewes Rugby Club. Musicians include The Sugarhill Gang and the Artful Dodger. More here.
Sport & Community
Until 31 May: The first returning swifts have been spotted and Swift-Friendly Town Season continues at Lewes Climate Hub. This series of free events celebrates the town’s summertime residents and promotes biodiversity. There’s more here.
5 May: Bank Holiday Tennis Fun Day takes place at Southdown Tennis Club from 10am–1pm. There are rackets to borrow, sessions for all ages and cake in the café. More here.
10-11 May: Always one of the year’s highlights: the Southover Bonfire Society-organised May Fayre returns to the Priory with medieval fun, falconry, crafts, dog show, food and drink. More here (with more about the Battle of Lewes reenactment, which takes place over the same weekend, here).
21 May: Join a public conversation titled ‘Should We Be Thinking About Our Futures Differently?’ with former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett and climate health expert Professor Hugh Montgomery at Southover Church, Lewes. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets here.
17-18 May: Open Gardens at Hamsey House offers tea and homemade cake in beautiful surroundings in support of the Bevern Trust. More here.
24 May: Pass the Peas funk and soul club night takes place at the Con Club, with music and dancing from 6pm to midnight. More here.
31 May: Meet the Bees and Honey World takes place at Middle Farm: a hands-on, family-friendly day learning about bees and honey. More here.
Family
Until 7 June: Artist Bruce Asbestos’ exhibition NEW POP MAX continues at the BN9 Studio in the Marine Workshops in Newhaven. The exhibition – with giant inflatable – is fun for kids, with workshops running alongside it. More here.
News: Clayful Hands runs regular classes and workshops – for adults and kids – including a pottery painting experience this Saturday (3 May). More here.
News: Look out for May half-term classes and clubs with artist Kirsten Norbury (here), Outdoors Project (here), plus Knights of the Castle Shield Trail (here) and Celts and Romans-themed activities (here) at Lewes Castle, while the much-loved Elderflower Fields festival in Ashdown Forest also runs 23-26 May (here).
5 May: It’s Garland Day on the Early May Bank Holiday: head to the Castle for the garland judging at 9.45am and from 10am Morris dancers will perform traditional May Day dancing. More here.
24 May: Cinemini Toddlers Workshop at Lewes Depot offers interactive film-related activities for young children. More here.