May in High Wycombe is genuinely looking like one for the diary.
We're talking underground WWII history, foraging feasts, vintage steam fairs, open mic nights, life drawing, a musical about Johnny Cash — and that's before we even get to the lido.
Whether you want a packed weekend or are just generally looking for things to do in High Wycombe, there is something here for you.
Get your calendar open, because here we go.
Things to do in High Wycombe this May
High Wycombe Society Exhibition: Caring for our Town Past, Present and Future
📍 We Make Wycombe Hub | 📅 7–9 May | ⏰ 10am-4pm | 💰 Free
The High Wycombe Society is bringing a special exhibition to the We Make Wycombe Hub over the first weekend in May. A brilliant opportunity to explore the history and heritage of the town, and to see the work of one of Wycombe's most dedicated preservation groups. Pop in any day across the three days — no need to book.
Air Raid Shelter Open Day
📍 Hamilton Academy 📅 Saturday 9th May | ⏰ 10.30am-2.30pm | 💰 Free
High Wycombe has its very own WWII air raid shelter hidden beneath the town, and it's throwing open its doors for a rare public open day. It's one of those genuinely fascinating local secrets that most people don't even know exists — it's never been open to the public before so this is your chance. Plus arts and crafts, talks, and a pop-up cafe.
Wild Feast with Jake Finn
📍 Oxmoor Farm | 📅 Saturday 9th May | ⏰ 5-9.30pm | 💰 £81.90
Forager and local favourite Jake Finn is hosting a wild feast at Oxmoor Farm — seasonal, foraged, and utterly delicious. Think beautiful food made from what's actually growing on our doorstep, in a stunning outdoor setting.
The Real Life Live Drawing Event — Bump Edition
📍 The Front Room | 📅 Saturday 9th May | ⏰ 7.30pm | 💰 £25
An evening of beauty, self-love and creativity at The Front Room — and this one's the Bump edition, celebrating pregnant bodies through live drawing. Whether you've got a pencil in hand before or not, that really doesn't matter. It's 2.5 hours of something a bit different, a bit beautiful, and completely unlike your average Friday night out in Wycombe.
Talk: De Havilland and The Mosquito
📍 Wycombe Museum | 📅 Sunday 10th May | ⏰ 1pm | 💰Free but donations welcome
Wycombe Museum is hosting a talk on de Havilland and the legendary Mosquito aircraft — one of the most extraordinary planes of the Second World War, and one with strong local connections. If you're into aviation history, wartime Britain, or just a brilliantly told story, this one is a must.
Pann Mill Open Day
📍 Pann Mill | 📅 Sunday 10th May | ⏰ 11am-5pm | 💰 Free
Pann Mill is one of High Wycombe's most treasured hidden gems — the last working watermill on the River Wye that's been restored and kept running by an incredible team of volunteers. Open days are the perfect excuse to see it in action, have a wander around the community stalls, and learn a bit about the town's milling history. Lovely for all ages.
The Ballad of Johnny and June
📍 Wycombe Swan Theatre | 📅 Tuesday 12th-Saturday 16th May | ⏰ Various | 💰 From £29.50
From the director of Jersey Boys comes this brand-new musical telling the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash — through the eyes of their son, no less. I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Jackson, Hurt, A Boy Named Sue — the songbook alone is extraordinary, and by all accounts the performances match it.
We went along: read our review of The Ballad of Johnny and June at Wycombe Swan.
The Hive Mind Open Mic
📍 B'Hive | 📅 Wednesday 13th May | ⏰ 8.30pm
If you've been working up the courage to get on stage — or just want a relaxed evening of live music from local talent — The Hive Mind Open Mic at B'Hive is exactly that. A warm, welcoming night tha looks like it could become a real fixture for Wycombe's creative community. Come to perform, come to listen, come to discover something new.
History on Our High Street Walk
📍 Starts at Pann Mill | 📅 Thursday 14th May | ⏰ 10am-11.30am | 💰 Free but donations welcome
You've walked the high street a thousand times — but have you ever really seen it? This guided walk explores the layers of history hiding in plain sight along High Wycombe's town centre streets. Led by museum volunteer Denise Lindsay, it's a genuinely eye-opening way to look at a familiar place. Comfortable shoes recommended.
For a self-guided look at the town beyond this scheduled walk, start with our guide to High Wycombe’s historic sights.
Select Comedy
📍 Patch | 📅 Thursday 14th May| ⏰ 7.30pm | 💰 £10 [use code PULSE for £3 off]
The headliner alone is worth the ticket — Adele Cliff is an award-winning comedian, the first woman to ever win the UK Pun Championship, and has written for The News Quiz and The Now Show. She's joined by BBC New Comedy Award winner Yuriko Kotani, with MC Elliot Wengler holding it all together fresh off a US tour. Grassroots comedy at its best, in Wycombe's brilliant new community venue Patch. Use code PULSE for £3 off your tickets. 🎟️
Chiltern Arts Festival
📍 Venues across the Chilterns | 📅 15th-23rd May | 💰 Varies by event
The Chiltern Arts Festival brings world-class music, art, and performance to venues across the Chilterns throughout the month — and some of the best events are right on our doorstep. From intimate classical concerts to contemporary exhibitions, it's a chance to experience top-level culture without travelling to London.
Yoga Brunch Club
📍 Peterley Manor Farm | 📅 Sunday 17th May | ⏰ 9am-12pm | 💰 £65
Experienced yogi Sarah from Yogahimsa leads a 75-minute vinyasa flow focused on the solar plexus chakra (motivation, willpower, all the good stuff), followed by a 45-minute meditation and sound relaxation. Then chef Katy from Barn Kitchen serves up a seasonal, vegetarian brunch — and yes, she shares the recipes to take home. All of this in a yurt, on a working farm, in the Chiltern Hills on a May morning. Honestly, treat yourself.
Ridge Off Roader
📍 Bledlow Ridge | 📅 Sunday 17th May| ⏰ Various| 💰 Cost varies per event
The Ridge Off Roader takes on one of the most dramatic landscapes above the town — if you fancy a proper challenge with absolutely stunning views thrown in, this is it. Whether you're entering to compete or just want an excuse to get up along a ridge in the May sunshine, it doesn't get much better than this.
Pikemen and Musketeers Family Fun Day
📍 Wycombe Museum | 📅 Sunday 17th May | ⏰ 10am-4pm | 💰 £6-8
Go back to the 1600s at this brilliant Civil War re-enactment day at Wycombe Museum. Watch Musketeers run shooting drills, see armoured Pikemen do hand-to-hand combat demonstrations, try on armour, and — if you've got kids — let them get instructed in the Children's Drill to become proper pikemen for the day. There's even a Camp Kitchen serving 17th century-style food while the officers dine in style. You can come and go as you please between 10am and 4pm, making it a really relaxed day out for the whole family.
Meditation Circle with Room 478
📍 Peterley Manor Farm | 📅 Friday 22nd May | ⏰ 6.30pm | 💰 £25
A twinkly yurt, the sounds of nature, herbal tea, and an hour and a half to actually switch your brain off — yes please. Kelly from Room 478 is a Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher and Author, and she's put together a genuinely lovely evening of breathing exercises, guided meditation, optional journalling and tarot cards, and all the calm you've been putting off giving yourself.
Frogfest Xtra 2026
📍 Frogmoor & High St | 📅 Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th May | ⏰ 4-8pm (Sat) & 12-8pm (Sun) | 💰 Free
Frogfest is one of those local events that just radiates good energy. Live music, a great crowd, and the sort of atmosphere you only get when a community comes together to celebrate.
HGSA Beer & Music Festival
📍Holmer Green Sports Association | 📅 Sunday 24th May | ⏰ 1-8pm | 💰 Adults £5 [including a pint glass]
A proper beer and music festival with live acts and local brews — the exact kind of thing a May bank holiday was invented for. Plus there'll be bouncy castle wristbands available for £3 for kids.
Picnic on the Pitch
📍 Adams Park | 📅 Monday 25th May | ⏰ 12-4pm | 💰 £5
Wycombe Wanderers are doing something brilliant for the bank holiday — opening up the Adams Park pitch for a family picnic afternoon. Bring your own blankets and food, or grab something from the stalls on the day, and spend the afternoon on the actual turf with local traders, kids' activities, a bouncy castle, and entertainment on the big screen. Free stadium tours are also running at 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm — but you'll need to pre-book those separately. 💙
Wycombe Rye Lido Community Day
📍 Wycombe Rye Lido | 📅 Monday 25th May | 💰 Free
The Lido's Community Open Day is back for bank holiday Monday, and it looks like an absolute belter. Pool parties, bouncy castle, football academy, face painting, local business stalls — and whatever "& so much more!" turns out to be. One of Wycombe's most-loved outdoor spots at its most festive. A brilliant way to kick off half term week. 🏊
Discover & Make: Victorian Toys
📍 Wycombe Museum | 📅 Tuesday 26th & Wednesday 27th May | ⏰ Various sessions | 💰 £4.75
What did Victorian children play with — and can you make one yourself? This hands-on session at Wycombe Museum lets kids discover the toys of the past and have a go at creating their own. Running on two days at the end of half term, it's a brilliant way to make history feel real without resorting to another afternoon of screens.
Kids Nature Crafting in the Yurt
📍 Peterley Manor Farm | 📅 Tuesday 26th-Friday 29th May | ⏰ 9.15am | 💰 £15
A different nature craft each day across half term week, led by Cherry, an experienced design teacher — think nature wands and headbands, planting your own vegetable garden, and building a bug hotel to take home for the garden. Aimed at 3–7 year olds, everything they make is theirs to keep. A brilliant way to fill a half term morning without resorting to the telly.
Wycombe Swan Community Day
📍 Wycombe Swan Theatre | 📅 Friday 29th May | ⏰ 10am-3pm | 💰 £2-10
The Swan is throwing open its doors for a full day of creativity and community — arts and crafts, storytelling, a princess meet and greet, face painting, local business stalls, and the chance to take selfies on the main stage (obviously). Pop in for half an hour or stay all day — all are welcome, and every penny goes to TETrust to help young and vulnerable people access the arts.
Catch 22 Jams: Pop Italiano
📍 The Front Room | 📅 Saturday 30th May| ⏰ 7pm | 💰 From £5.50
Catch 22 Jams is one of those nights that's genuinely unlike anything else in Wycombe — hand-picked local musicians, chill vibes, and sounds that go wherever the evening takes them. This month the house band MLN Ensemble kick things off with a jazz twist on music from the golden age of Italian cinema and style, before the spontaneous magic takes over. Board and arcade games available all night too, because why not.
Horton's Steam Fair — West Wycombe
📍 West Wycombe | 📅 Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May | ⏰ 12pm-10pm (Sat) & 12pm-8pm (Sun)| 💰 Free entry
Horton's Steam Fair is rolling into West Wycombe with its magnificent collection of vintage steam engines and fairground rides. The smell of engine oil, the clatter of beautifully restored machinery, the rides that have been going for generations — it's a proper nostalgic treat and an absolute joy for all ages. One of the highlights of the Wycombe year.
What an absolute month. Whether you're out every weekend or just picking one brilliant thing to look forward to, May in High Wycombe is genuinely worth getting excited about.
And if you want to stay on top of everything happening in town — events, new openings, local news — make sure you're signed up to the Wycombe Pulse newsletter. We've got you covered every week. 👋
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