What to do in South Carolina: May Events (2026)
Photos by Sean Rayford
The 87th Annual Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally is May 8 – 17. Atlantic Beach Bikefest is May 22-25. Here: Memorial Day Weekend in Myrtle Beach (2020)
Welcome to my monthly guide on what to do in South Carolina. This isn’t an exhaustive list but rather — one curated by a photojournalist who has been covering the Palmetto State since 1997.
If you’re looking for parades, festivals, fairs, concerts, or unique events that are fun — this is it. Some of these might make great photography opportunities. For those interested in photography, I offer private and personalized photo workshops.
May 1 - May 15, 2026
May 1-2 / Rock Hill - SC Strawberry Festival
May 1-10 / Anderson - Great Anderson County Fair
May 1 / Greenville - Sabboth w Dazr at Radio Room
May 1 / Greenville - Ben Folds at The Peace Center
May 1 / Columbia - Brittany Turnipseed: Finlay Park
May 1-3 / North Charleston - North Charleston Arts Fest
May 1 / Charleston - Charleston Oxygen Ball - Dancing with the Stars
May 1 / Charleston - Mantra (EP Release) w/ Tounds & Maraluso at Music Farm
May 1 / Charleston - Soulja Boy with Lil Xan, Uhfwea, and PBE Pluto at Charleston Music Hall
May 1 / Charleston - Winterteeth w/ Channel Bluff + Nick Matthews at The Royal American
May 1 / Charleston - Sol Driven Train at Pour House (Deck Stage)
May 1 / Charleston - Sicard Hollow at Pour House
May 1 / Spartanburg - Spartanburg Criterium
May 1-2 / Abbeville - Abbeville Spring Festival
May 1-2 / Lake City - Art Fields
May 1-2 / Sumter - Bird Fest
May 1-2 / Eastover - Eastover BBQ Festival & Jam Fest
May 1-2 / Columbia - Midlands Clay Spring Sale
May 2 / Florence - CAPES For Kids Run
May 2 / Charleston - Charleston Air Show
May 2 / McClellanville - Lowcountry Shrimp Festival & Blessing of the Fleet
May 2 / Johnston - Peach Blossom Festival
May 2 / Charleston - Dragon Boat Charleston Festival
May 2 / Charleston -Wilmot w/ Sunhouse + Lilly Hartle at The Royal American
May 2 / Charleston - Arts Fishing Club + Harvey Street at Pour House
May 2-3 / Orangeburg - Orangeburg Festival of Roses
May 2-3 / Chester County - Ag + Art Tour
May 2 / Greenville - Reedy River Duck Derby
May 2 / Greenville - Music for the Masses (Dark Wave Party) at Radio Room
May 2 / Columbia - Five OHM: Koger Center
May 2 / Columbia - Javonne Jones at Chayz Lounge
May 2 / Columbia - Rosewood Crawfish Festival
Rosewood Crawfish Fest: May 2 (Photo from 2015)
May 2 / Columbia - Lil Xan at New Brookland Tavern
May 2 / Spartanburg - Burger Cook-Off
May 2 / Pickens - Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois, and United Tribes of South Carolina Annual Pow Wow
May 2 / Anderson - Rhythm on the River
May 1 / Greenville - Hit the Lighhts at Radio Room
May 3 / Hilton Head - Pedal Hilton Head Island
May 3 / Charleston - Kathy Griffin at Charleston Music Hall
May 3 / Greenville - Taste of the Upstate
May 1 / Greenville - Robert Cray Band at The Peace Center
May 4 / Greenville - Isaia Huron at Radio Room
May 5 / Charleston - Kanika Moore & The Brown Eyed Bois at Pour House
May 5 / Charleston - Ty Segall w/ Upchuck at Music Farm
May 5 / Charleston - Built to Spill w the Hypos at Music Farm
May 6 / Greenville - John R Miller at Radio Room
May 6-9 / Greer - Spring Skunk Music Fest
May 7 / Charleston - Freddy Dredd w Germ and Cursed at Music Farm
May 7 / Columbia - Ashes Remain with Stephen Staley at New Brookland Tavern
May 7-10 / Batesburg-Leesville - South Carolina Poultry Festival
May 7-10 / Myrtle Beach - PGA Myrtle Beach Classic
May 7-8 / Charleston -Magoo at the Pour House
May 7 / Charleston - Steelin’ Peaches at the Pour House
May 7 / Columbia - Built to Spill at The Senate
May 8 / Charleston - All that Remains w Born of Osiris + more at Music Farm
May 8 / Charleston - Gritty Flyright & The Music Family at the Pour House
May 8 / Charleston - Trey Kennedy at Charleston Music Hall
May 8 / Charleston - Mindwater w/ Brady Sklar (Daddy’s Beemer) + Cab Driver at The Royal American
May 8-10 - Greenville - Artisphere
Chayz Lounge in West Columbia
May 8 / Greenville -Jiluka at Radio Room
May 8-17 - Myrtle Beach - Myrtle Beach Bike Week and Spring Rally
May 8-9 / Columbia - Pro Rodeo at Colonial Center
May 8-10 / Charleston - Charleston Greek Festival
May 8-10 / Barnwell - Barnwell Sundial Festival
May 9 / Columbia - Play that Band at Chayz Launge
May 9 / Lancaster - Ag + Art Tour
May 9 / Aiken - Ag + Art Tour
May 9 / Greenville - All that Remains at Radio Room
May 9 / Charleston - Charleston Greek Festival
May 9 / Charleston - Pitstop at Music Farm
May 9 / Charleston - St. Paul and the Broken Bones at Charleston Music Hall
May 9 / Charleston - Parris Buyers Club at The Royal American
May 9 / Charleston - Nether Hour at the Pour House
May 9 / Rock Hill - Tega Cay's Best Dam Food Festival
May 9 / Sumter - Downtown Sumter Microbrew Festival
May 9 / Bluffton - Bluffton Mayfest
May 9 / Columbia - Miracles in Motion: 5K Walk, Run & Roll
May 9 / Greenville - Tails & Trails 5K
May 9 / Summerville - Dancing With The ARK's Stars
May 9 / Columbia - COLAFW Met Gala
May 9 / Charleston - Saints with Soul Concert
May 9 / Ridgeland - Concert for the Heros
May 10 / Charleston - Live Dead and Brothers at the Pour House
May 10 / Charleston - Waylon Wyatt at Charleston Music Hall
May 1 / Greenville - Signs of the Swarm at Radio Room
May 11 / Charleston - Sepultura, Biohazard + more at Charleston Music Hall
May 11 / Columbia - Coheed and Cambria at The Senate
May 11 / Charleston - Rising Appalacia at Music Farm
May 11 / Greenville - Wolves at the Gate at Radio Room
May 12 / Charleston - Demon Hunter at Music Farm
May 12 / Charleston - Jim Rubush and Friends at the Pour House
May 12 / Greenville - Andrew Marlin and Josh Oliver at Radio Room
May 1 / Greenville - Herbie Hancock at The Peace Center
May 13 / Greenville - Books Over Drinks with Veronica Roth at Radio Room
May 1 / Greenville - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Folds at The Peace Center
May 14 / Charleston - Bella White at the Pour House
May 14 / Charleston - Violent Vira at Music Farm
May 14-16 / Charleston - St. Philip Neri Italian Festival
May 14-16 / Columbia - Black Expo Columbia
May 14-17 / Greenville - Carolina Hills Classic
May 14 / Greenville - Red at Radio Room
May 14 / Greenville - Allison Krauss at Bon Secours Arena
May 14 / Charleston - Harvest Dinner
May 15 - May 30, 2026
May 15-17 / Sumter - Iris Festival
May 15-17 / Greenville - Greek Festival
May 15-24 / Greenville - Fair at Heritage Park
May 15 / Greenville - Tell me Lies at Radio Room
May 15-16 / Lancaster - Red Rose Festival
May 15 / Columbia - Thouxanbanfauni at New Brookland Tavern
May 15 / Columbia - Allison Krauss at The Township
May 15 / Columbia - WWE at Colonial Life Arena
May 15 / Charleston - Creed Fisher at the Pour House
May 15 / Charleston - CurrenSy at Music Farm
May 15 / Charleston - Akaash Singh at Charleston Music Hall
May 15 / Charleston - Emma Grace Burton w/ Maraluso + Never Really Over at The Royal American
May 15-16 / Columbia - ColaJazz + Roots Fest
May 15 / West Columbia - Art on State
May 15-17 / Columbia - Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest at The Nick
May 15-16 / Aiken - Aiken Garden Show
May 15 / Charleston - Gasolina at Music Farm
May 16 / Charleston - Elise Testone’s Led Zepplin Experience at the Pour House
May 16 / Columbia - Final Harden St Show at New Brookland Tavern
May 16 / Columbia - Charles Page Trio at Chayz Launge
May 16-17 / Charleston - Blue Crab Festival
May 16-17 / Columbia - Festival of Gardens
May 16 / Greenville - Born to Run 5K
May 16 / Calhoun County - Ag + Art Tour
May 16-17 / Charleston - AtomaCon
May 16-17 / Greenville - The Festival at the Friars' Gate
May 16 / Colleton County - Ag + Art Tour
May 16 / Columbia - Riverbanks Run
May 16 / Charleston - Color the Future
May 16 / Charleston - Kenny George Band w/ Finnegan Bell + The Runout (Duo) at The Royal American
May 16 / Greenville - NAMIWalks Upstate South Carolina
May 16 / Abbeville - Ag + Art Tour
May 16 / Abbeville - Erskine Flower & Garden Show
May 16 / Lauren County - Ag + Art Tour
May 16 / Pickens - Mountain Roots Herb Festival
May 16 / Columbia - Heart & Sole Women's Five Miler
May 16 / Charleston - Miles and Coltrane at 100
May 17 / Charleston - Juiuce at the Pour House
May 17 / Charleston - Kathryn Stockett at Charleston Music Hall
May 17 / Columbia - Don Toliver at Colonial Life Arena
May 17 / Greenville - The ‘68 at Radio Room
May 18 / Columbia - Journey at Colonial Life Arena
May 18-20 / Myrtle Beach - Veterans Golf Classic
May 18 / Greenville - Keep Flyin, Fury In Few, Freydog and Normal People at Radio Room
May 20 / Charleston - Cold at Music Farm
May 20 / Greenville - Charlie Collins at Radio Room
May 21 / Greenville - Them Dirty Roses at Radio Room
May 1 / Greenville - The Secret Sisters at The Peace Center
May 21-23 / Spartanburg - Plum Hollow Festival
May 21-24 / Rembert - Black Cowboy Festival
May 21/ Ware Shoals - Ware Shoals Catfish Festival
May 21 / Columbia - Dick Goodwin at Chayz Launge
May 22-31 / Charleston - Spoleto Festival USA
May 22-23 / Charleston - Perpetual Groove at the Pour House
May 22 / Charleston - Colors in Corduroy w/ Shred Flinstone + Camisole at The Royal American
May 22 / Charleston - Bubble Burlesque at Music Farm
May 22 / Greenville - Daddy’s Beemer at Radio Room
May 1 / Greenville - Jason Mraz at The Peace Center
May 22-23 / Greenville - Gallabrae, Greenville Scottish Games
May 22-24 / Beaufort - Original Gullah Festival
May 22-23 / Chester - WFlopeye Fish Festival
The ‘68 performs May 17 at Radio Room in Greenville, SC. (Photo from 2014)
May 22/ Greenville - Happy Birthday, America!
May 23 / Bamberg County - Ag + Art Tour
May 23 / Columbia - Jamie Wright does Phyllis Hyman at Chayz Launge
May 23 / Charleston - Jeno Judges Presents: A Night of All Star Local Hip Hop at The Royal American
May 23 / Greenville - Cold at Radio Room
May 23 / Greenville - David Nail at The Peace Center
May 23 / Greenville - Chicago at The Peace Center
May 24 / Greenville - Opulent Oddities at Radio Room
May 26 / Charleston - The Foxhounds, Dallas Baker at the Pour House
May 26 / Charleston - Terence Blanchard + the E-Collective: Miles Davis & John Coltrane at 100 at Charleston Music Hall
May 28 / Charleston - Andrew Scotchie and Darby Wilcox at the Pour House
May 28-30 / Lake Murray - Dam Boat Run at Lake Murray
May 28 / Columbia - Anberlin, Emery and Watashi Wa at The Senate
May 29 / Charleston - Campbell and Sons w/ Macelyn Batten at The Royal American
May 29 / Charleston - Ilana Glazer at Charleston Music Hall
May 29 / Charleston - Runaway Gin at the Pour House
May 29 / Charleston - Drew Sidoro at Music Farm
May 29 / Greenville - Lovesong (Cure Tribute) at Radio Room
May 30-31 / Columbia - Songbird Festival
May 30 / Columbia - Kevin Staley Project at Chayz Launge
May 30/ Columbia - Stangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience at The Senate
May 30 / Hampton County - Ag + Art Tour
May 30 / McCormick County - Ag + Art Tour
May 30 / Lexington County - Ag + Art Tour
May 30 / Charleston - Charleston Historic District Open Day
May 30 / Charleston - Buckethead at Music Farm
May 30 / Charleston - Black Gold: Quentin E. Baxter celebrates Moacir Santos, featuring Chico Pinheiro at Charleston Music Hall
May 30 / Charleston - Dog Named Squid w/ Owen & The Smokes + The Maple Street Band at The Royal American
May 30/ Charleston - Charleston Charity Duck Race
May 30 / Clio - Ribs & Rods Festival
May 30 / Greenville - Nirvani at Radio Room
May 14 / Greenville - Weird Al at Bon Secours Arena
May 30-31 / Columbia - Southeast Punk Fleamarket at Columbia Metro Convention Center