May is the month Southport properly wakes up. The beach gets its first busy weekends of the year, the events calendar starts filling out, and this May there's an extra edge to the town that I haven't felt before. Ten weeks from The Open. The town knows it's coming.
The beach right now
Marine Drive car park (PR8 1RQ) is open again after the winter closure. Go early on weekends. By 10am on a sunny Saturday it fills. The beach itself is at its best in May when the tide is right: you get the full width of the sand, the light is good in the morning, and it's not yet crowded the way it will be in school summer holidays.
Low tide in May gives you a remarkable amount of space. The flat sands stretch out further than most first-time visitors expect. If you've only ever been to Southport beach in summer, try it on a May weekday morning. It's a completely different experience.
What's on in May
Southport Beer Week runs from 20-25 May. Six days, 18 pubs, 90+ real ales, free stamp card. It's not a flashy event. It's a genuinely local pub event that takes you into pubs you might not otherwise visit. The Hesketh Arms in Churchtown is always on the trail. Worth doing if you're here mid-week.
The Food and Drink Festival is on the Bank Holiday weekend, 29-31 May. 100+ traders across the town centre, street food, artisan producers, free entry. This is consistently one of the best weekends in Southport's calendar. The weather doesn't always cooperate, but even in drizzle it's worth going.
Lord Street in May
The glass canopies are at their best when the light is good. Walk the full length of Lord Street on a dry May morning. Go through Wayfarers Arcade even if you're not buying anything. Have a coffee at The Atkinson. It's one of the better ways to spend 90 minutes in this town.
The Atkinson, if you haven't been, is genuinely excellent. Gallery, theatre, cafe, good temporary exhibitions. It's the kind of place that makes you proud to live somewhere. Free to enter, good coffee, interesting programme.
Churchtown in May
I live in Churchtown. In May, the Botanic Gardens are properly good. Free entry. They get busy on Bank Holiday weekends but on a normal weekday morning you can have large sections of the gardens almost to yourself. The café is decent. It's about 90 minutes at an easy pace and worth doing even if you're not especially interested in plants.
The Open buzz starting to build
You can feel it. I've been talking to restaurant owners, hotel staff, people who run the seafront operations. Everyone knows July is going to be huge. The preparations are already visible near the course. If you're planning to come for The Open, the time to sort accommodation and restaurants is now, not June.
📍Marine Drive car park: PR8 1RQ. Victoria Road car park: PR8 2LZ. Both free early in the day, both fill on warm Saturdays by mid-morning.
What's on in Southport this summer:
Southport Events 2026: Full Calendar →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk. Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
