The Dandelion Chandelier Luxury Calendar is a curated list of the best events in the world of luxury in May 2019. Whether your passion is Travel; Food and Drink; Planes, Yachts and Autos; Fitness and Sports; Fashion and Design; Entertainment; or The Arts, we’ve got you covered. Want to know what to do in May to have amazing luxury experiences all month long? Read on.
what are the important luxury events on the calendar in May 2019?
What to do in May, you ask? The better question is where to start. And how to squeeze it all in.
From the Cannes Film Festival, the Met Gala, bellwether art auctions in New York, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Kentucky Derby, Shakespeare in the Park, the Monaco Grand Prix, and the start of the season at Glyndebourne, May is filed with glamorous and intellectually stimulating events.
If you have the resources and the time, you can spend every day this month having an incredible luxury experience. There are also whimsical spring celebrations, Mother’s Day, and the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend.
But there’s no need to rush the season. Right now, let’s just say “yes” to May.
the best events in the world of luxury in may 2019
1. travel
Don’t miss the opening of 1 Hotel West Hollywood, the brand’s first West Coast property. Kimpton opens its first hotel in Asia: the Kimpton Da An. Wilderness Safaris debuts its second camp in Rwanda, Magashi Camp. And Louis Vuitton launches a new line of soft-sided rolling luggage with Marc Newson.
Louis Vuitton Marc Newson Soft Rolling Luggage 2019
2. food and drink
It’s all about food and philanthropy in some corners of the world this month. From the California Winemasters event in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to the Taste of Tribeca, benefiting lower Manhattan’s public schools, there are lots of opportunities for giving back and paying it forward. In addition, catch the annual Nantucket Wine and Food Festival, Paris’s Fête du Pain or the return of the UK’s biggest food fest, the aptly-named Foodies Festival. Or our personal favorite, the Frankfurt Green Sauce Festival.
The Frankfurt Green Sauce Festival. Photo Courtesy the Kempinski Hotel.
3. planes, yachts and autos
May is an iconic month in the world of planes, yachts and autos; there are prestigious races, sales and shows the world over. From thrills on land like the Monaco Grand Prix; Automobile Barcelona; and Sotheby’s Berluti: The Art of Craftsmanship. To epic events at sea like The World Superyacht Awards and the Antigua to Bermuda yacht race.
Antigua to Bermuda Race
4. fitness and sports
Grab a chic chapeau and head to one of the two major Thoroughbred horse racing events this month: The Kentucky Derby or The Preakness Stakes. Other classic sporting events this month include The French Open, the Emirates FA Cup Final and the 2019 PGA Championship in Bethpage. Want in on the action yourself? Register for the Great Wall of China marathon. Or attend Goop’s health conference in LA, In Goop Health.
Gwyneth Palrow hosts In Goop Health
5. fashion and design
The theme of the fashion world’s version of the Oscars, aka the Met Gala, this year is Camp. The event coincides with the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, Camp: Notes on Fashion which will explore the origins of this exuberant aesthetic. For more art and design, head to Frieze New York on Randall’s Island. Or to Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design with Denmark’s top brands. The bellwether spring auctions in New York have some stunning offerings this year, including a chance to own Jeff Koons’ iconic Rabbit. It could fetch between $50-$70 million when offered for sale in the Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale.
Jeff Koons’ Rabbit
6. Entertainment
Summer entertainment season kicks off in May. First up? The annual Cannes Film Festival and the release of the buzzed-about film, The Souvenir. The silver screen also sees the debut of the long-awaited biopic about Elton John, Rocketman. On the small screen and stage there are numerous works looking back on wrongdoings. They include HBO’s Chernobyl and The Lehman Trilogy, about the rise and fall of the global financial giant. Finally, festival season is in full swing. And Governors Ball returns to Randall’s Island in New York.
Rocketman star Taron Egerton
7. the arts
In the world of dance, the American Ballet Theater holds its Spring Gala while the Metropolitan Museum hosts On Site Opera and a production of Murasaki’s Moon. Pianist Mitsuko Uchida explores Schubert at Carnegie Hall. The Venice Biennale and the Whitney Biennale both begin in May. Or head south for a groundbreaking exhibition in Mexico City: Appearance Stripped Bare: Desire and the Object in the Work of Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons, Even.
The Venice Biennale 2019
what else is on the calendar in May?
1. The first of May celebrations
May Day is one of the most popular holidays of the year in France; most shops and museums are closed to celebrate the nation’s Labor Day. Be on the look-out for lilies of the valley, which are a symbol of good luck.
In China as well, May 1 is the country’s annual Labor Day.
May Morning at Oxford in England is a joyous way to greet the month, with a choir singing a hymn from the Magdalen Tower at dawn, followed by dancing and singing in the streets.
May Morning at Magdalen College Oxford, England
2. the fifth of May parties
Cinco de Mayo is the annual celebration held to commemorate the victory of Mexican forces over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 – May 5. Tequila!
Cinco de Mayo
3. the rest of the month
Seekers of investment wisdom head to Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting – May 4.
The annual Aids Walk New York first started in 1986 and is still the largest walk-a-thon in the world, attracting over 30,000 people. The money raised goes to Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) and over 40 other local AIDS service organizations – May 19.
In addition to all of that, Mother’s Day in the United States is on the 12th, Ramadan begins on the 5th, Geek Pride Day is the 25th, and Memorial Day is the 27th.
Mother’s Day Meal Prep
that’s what to do in May
That’s it. Our top picks for the best events in the world of luxury in May 2019. What are you most excited about? Let us know if you attend any of these – and send pictures!
In the whirl of May activities, don’t forget to stop for a moment and revel in spring.
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see the full list of May 2019 events:
- Travel
- Food and Drink
- Planes, Yachts and Autos
- Fitness and Sports
- Fashion and Design
- Entertainment
- The Arts
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.