14,000 turn out for Oxford May Morning celebrations
The tradition dates back to 1250.
Last updated 1st May 2024
Oxford City Council confirm around 14,000 revellers have lined the city's streets for the traditional May Morning celebration.
The festivities are to welcome in spring, with Morris Dancing, music and lots of green outfits.
Dating back to 1250 the most well-known of Oxford’s May Day traditions is Magdalen College’s choir singing "Hymnus Eucharisticus", a Latin Hymn, from the top of Magdalen Tower at 6am.
If 6am was a little early here is a sample of the hymn:
According to the Oxford Museum this tradition, has only been happening since about 1674 and marking May Day in Oxford goes back much further than that.
Many of the city's young residents and university students may have stayed up all night to make the celebrations which also feature strange costumes and Morris Dancing.
One women who studies in Sheffield came back to Oxford just for the May Morning celebrations;
"I just came back for May Day, I think it's such an important cultural day."
Many businesses opened early to cater for the thousands who came to celebrate May Day.
After the solemn start things got more upbeat as Morris bands took over the music from the choir.
May Morning revellers
The May Morning celebrations really became a tradition when it was revived in the mid 19th Century.