Thousands expected to attend May Morning 2016

May Morning is a traditional celebration of the coming of Spring that has been taking place in Oxford for more than 500 years.

It will start at 6am with the choristers of Magdalen College choir singing Hymnus Eucharisticus from the college’s Great Tower.

Hymnus Eucharisticus was composed in the 17th century by a Fellow of Magdalen College and has been sung every year from the Great Tower on May Morning.

Following the choir, the college’s bells will ring out over Oxford for approximately 20 minutes.

May Morning will take place on the weekend for the first time since 2011 and this is likely to mean that more people will attend if the weather is kind.

With this in mind, the City Council will be focussing on managing events on and around Magdalen Bridge; Broad Street will not be closed to traffic but is expected to be relatively traffic free between 6am and 8am on a Sunday morning. Members of the public should be aware that the road will be open to traffic.

Peter McQuitty, Corporate Lead for Culture and Events, said: “May Morning is one of the local traditions that makes Oxford such an exciting place to live and work.

“People should be aware that there will be a lot of people on Magdalen Bridge at 6am this year, so please make sure that you look after yourself and those around you.”

Oxford City Council organises May Morning at Magdalen Bridge on behalf of partners, including Thames Valley Police, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Central Ambulance Service and Magdalen College.

Any pop-up events, such as Morris Dancing and folk singing, held across the city are organised by the individual groups.

For more information about events taking place across Oxford on May Morning, please visit the DailyInfo website.