That's the way to do it! Covent Garden's May Fayre & Puppet Festival is back in 2026, for its 51st edition.
The free, family-friendly event celebrates the anniversary of the first recorded sighting of Mr Punch, an early version of today's Punch & Judy shows.
It was diarist Samuel Pepys who recalled seeing "an Italian puppet play — a great resort for gallants within the rayles of Covent Garden" in May 1662. Pepys' puppet sighting is recorded by a plaque on the wall of St Paul's Church, unveiled in 1962.
This inspired the first Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival to be held in 1976, bringing together Punch & Judy professors and puppeteers from all over the world. Pandemic aside, the event has taken place on the second Sunday of May ever since.
At 11am, a grand procession, led by the Superior Brass Band, parps its way around the Covent Garden neighbourhood to kick off the day's celebrations, culminating in a birthday toast to Mr Punch in the Covent Garden Piazza. This is followed at 12pm by a special service in St Paul's Church — also known as 'the Actor's Church' for its theatrically-inclined congregation — with Mr Punch in the pulpit.
Following the church service, the fayre takes place in the church garden with stalls, Punch & Judy shows (tell the kids that this is what kids TV used to look like), puppeteering workshops, live music and maypole dancing. An afternoon of wholesome, free, family-friendly fun, if ever there was one. Apart from all the fiesty puppets, of course.
For 2026, the event is produced for the first time by Small Pond Theatre, who take over the reins from previous organisers, Alternative Arts.
The Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival, Sunday 10 May 2026, St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, 11am-5.30pm. Admission is free.
