A Punch & Judy Spring Tradition Returns to Covent Garden
Join the 50th Annual May Fayre & Puppet Festival — and come say hi while you’re there! Sunday, 11 May 2025
We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of London’s most charming and delightfully quirky springtime traditions: the Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival! This year marks its 50th anniversary—and even more impressively, it's celebrating Mr Punch’s 353rd birthday.
📍 Where: St Paul’s Church Garden, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9ED
📅 When: Sunday, 11 May 2025 | From 11am to 5:30pm
🎟️ Admission: Totally free!
Our friends at Covent Garden and Alternative Arts have nurtured this vibrant, eccentric tradition over the decades, and it’s become a true gem of the London calendar. Expect a joyful whirlwind of Punch & Judy shows, puppetry performances, folk music, maypole dancing, and a big ol’ brass band leading the morning procession. It all kicks off at 11am and keeps the fun rolling until the early evening.
👀 Keep an eye out for Fagner from Puppet Soup, who’ll be representing us on the day—and he might even have a few notebooks to give away. Come say hello!
The May Fayre has deep roots. It all began when Samuel Pepys spotted an “Italian puppet play” in Covent Garden in 1662—the first recorded mention of Mr Punch in England. Since then, Punch has gone from a string puppet to the iconic glove puppet we know today. The modern festival, founded in 1976 by Alternative Arts, helped revive Covent Garden’s street performance scene after the old market closed, turning it into a playful, annual celebration of community, creativity, and cultural history.
For more details and history, check out alternativearts.org.uk.
Whether you’re a lifelong Punch fan or just curious to experience one of London’s most eccentric and joyful events, come join in. We’ll definitely be soaking it all in—hope to see you there!
Long live the May Fayre!