Key Marketing Dates & Events – May 2025

May is a golden month for digital marketing – packed with seasonal change, bank holidays and awareness days that offer creative opportunities to connect with your audience. Planning ahead is key, so here are the standout dates to pencil in for your May marketing campaigns.

Public Holidays & Observances

Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 6 May

Perfect for leisure promotions, self-care campaigns, or just encouraging a "treat yourself" vibe.

Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 27 May

Another great day for retail, hospitality, or casual weekend marketing.

Awareness Days & Weeks

Star Wars Day – Saturday 4 May

Get creative with pop culture content, fun memes, or "May the 4th" wordplay.

Hashtag: #MayTheFourthBeWithYou

Local and Mayor Elections – Thursday 1 May

A good opportunity for locally-focused brands to promote civic engagement, local pride, or community involvement.

International Nurses Day – Sunday 12 May

Celebrate healthcare heroes, wellness, or frontline workers — especially for brands in the medical or wellness industries.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) – Monday 17 May

A great day to highlight your brand’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Mental Health Awareness Week – 12–18 May

Focus on wellbeing, stress management, mental health support, or share your tips.

World Bee Day – Tuesday 20 May

Perfect for sustainable, eco-friendly, or outdoor brands — lots of room for creative campaigns here!

International Day of Families – Thursday 15 May

Share family-centered content or offer a nod to values of togetherness and community.

Learning at Work Week – 19–25 May

Promote professional development, online courses, or workplace wellbeing.

Seasonal & Cultural Events

Chelsea Flower Show – 20–24 May

Showcase spring aesthetics, gardening, or nature-inspired content.

FA Cup Final – Saturday 24 May (TBC)

Great for sports-related promotions, local engagement, or celebratory content.

May Half Term (England & Wales) – Week of 26 May

Perfect for family-focused campaigns, school-related content, or entertainment services.

Other Key Dates

Skin Cancer Awareness Month – All of May

National Walking Month – All of May

Great for fitness, wellness, and outdoor brands.

Marketing Tips for May:

1. Leverage Trending Hashtags

For days like Star Wars Day (#MayTheFourth) or Mental Health Awareness Week, using the relevant hashtags can give your content an instant boost.

Tip: Create a custom, branded hashtag for your business around these days to create a community and track engagement.

2. Create Themed Content

Align your posts with the specific event — but make sure it's relevant to your brand. For example:

Star Wars Day: Share a fun post like “May the strategy be with you” or “Bringing your marketing to light speed!”

Mental Health Awareness Week: Share tips on how to maintain mental wellness in business or work-life balance strategies.

3. Promote Special Offers Around Key Holidays

Bank holidays like the Early May Bank Holiday (6 May) and Spring Bank Holiday (27 May) are great times to promote time-limited offers, discounts, or “weekend only” specials. People are more likely to shop or engage during a holiday.

Tip: Create urgency by adding phrases like "Only available until [date]" or "Get 20% off this Bank Holiday weekend!"

4. Educate Through Content

Incorporate awareness months like Skin Cancer Awareness Month or National Walking Month into educational content. For example, a blog post about staying active (tied to National Walking Month) or a video on protecting your skin from the sun (for Skin Cancer Awareness Month) can provide value to your audience while tying into meaningful causes.

5. Share Customer Stories or Testimonials

For days like International Nurses Day or International Day of Families, you can highlight customer stories that reflect these values. If you have clients in these fields or who benefit from your services, showcasing their experiences creates an emotional connection with your audience.

6. Run Contests & Giveaways

Run a giveaway around popular dates like Star Wars Day or International Nurses Day. For example: Star Wars Day: "Tag a friend who loves Star Wars and win a [prize related to your service]!"

7. Cross-Promote on Multiple Platforms

Make sure to cross-promote your content across different platforms — especially for key events. Use your Instagram Stories, LinkedIn posts, and Facebook posts to create more visibility. Don’t forget to share your blog in your newsletter too!

8. Collaborate with Other Brands

Partner with businesses that are also celebrating similar dates. For example, during Mental Health Awareness Week, collaborate with a wellness brand to offer a bundle or joint promotion. This cross-promotion increases your exposure to new audiences.

9. Plan Ahead and Schedule

Plan your May campaigns ahead of time to take advantage of these dates. Use scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to automate your posts, so you're not scrambling last-minute.

10. Be Consistent with Your Brand Voice

Even while hopping on trending topics, keep your messaging consistent with your brand’s personality. Whether you’re fun and quirky for Star Wars Day or more serious and informative for Mental Health Awareness Week, maintaining a consistent voice builds trust.

BONUS: Use Visuals That Pop

Visuals are powerful — so create engaging graphics, infographics, or videos to highlight these dates. Canva is a great tool to create quick and eye-catching designs to share across platforms.

Final Tip: Track Engagement & Adjust

Monitor the engagement of your posts and see what’s resonating. If a specific campaign (like Mental Health Awareness) gets a lot of attention, you can leverage it more in the future by diving deeper into that topic or expanding with related content.

Need help building a May campaign that hits the mark? Get in touch for strategy, design and social media support.