The 51st Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival
Schedule
Sun May 10 2026 at 11:00 am to 05:00 pm
UTC+01:00Location
St Paul's Church-the Actor's Church, Covent Garden | London, EN
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Celebrating Mr Punch’s Birthday at the…COVENT GARDEN MAY FAYRE & PUPPET FESTIVAL
Sunday 10 May 2026
St Paul’s Church Garden, Bedford Street WC2E 9ED
Dear Friends and Supporters of the May Fayre,
We have great pleasure in inviting you to attend the 51st Annual Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival to be held this year on Sunday 10 May 2026 to celebrate Mr Punch’s 364th birthday near the very spot that Samuel Pepys first saw Mr Punch in England in May 1662.
The May Fayre will take place in the garden of St Paul’s Church, Bedford Street, Covent Garden WC2E 9ED. The day will start with a Grand Procession at 11am led by the Superior Brass Band, followed by the Special Church Service at 12noon, and performances from 12.30 until 5.00pm. We are hoping for lots of sun and friendly crowds this year so please spread the word and join in the party.
We will be at the church to meet performers and vendors from 9am. All kinds of puppeteers and performers are welcome. If you would like to perform as part of the day, please see the new May Fayre website (link in comments below) for further information.
Organisations are welcome to apply to have an information and/or sales stall as part of the May Fayre. Please contact us for further information.
We also welcome applications from professional traders, artisan makers, and independent food vendors wishing to participate in the Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival. Please email [email protected] for an application form.
Small Pond Theatre are delighted to be organising the Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival, and are indebted to the festival’s founder Maggie Pinhorn at Alternative Arts for 50 glorious years of this magical event. We hope you will wish to join us on the day to say thank you to Maggie.
We are looking forward to seeing you all again at this 51st annual festival, and hope to hear from you very soon.
With best wishes from James Arnott, David Wilde and the May Fayre Committee.
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Where is it happening?
St Paul's Church-the Actor's Church, Covent Garden, London, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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