Elegantly framed by a pair of bank holiday weekends, May might just be the best month of the year for parties. Here are a few to look out for in the coming weeks.

Tropical 
Motion, Fri, May 1

May Day weekend kicks off with this huge grime, garage and bass session at Motion. JME, Preditah, DJ Q, Wookie, Logan Sama, Blazey and Pay As You Go are all on the bill, as is Plastician, whose recent interview for Bristol 24/7 you can read here. For the full lineup see www.motion.com.

Room 237 
The Island, Fri, May 1

We’ve been fans of Berlin-based Objekt’s impeccably sculpted sound since hearing The Goose That Got Away back in 2011. Since then, his dark, immersive blend of techno and deep, deep bass has gone from strength to strength, and Flatland was one of last year’s finest debut albums. The party takes place in the creepy police cells under the old Crown Court building, and supports include Glasgow-via-Bristol machine maverick Marco Bernardi. The Facebook event is here.

Defected In The House
Motion, Sun, May 3

Defected is one of UK house music’s biggest empires and that kind of firepower definitely helps when pulling a lineup like this together. NYC trailblazer Marc ‘MK’ Kinchen headlines with support from Oliver $, Sam Divine, Sonny Fodera and Defected boss Simon Dunmore. Full lineup here.

Rhyme & Reason 
Marble Factory, Sat, May 16 

Back with a killer new album after three years working on solo projects, the masked men of UK rap have lost none of their fire. Intelligent, angry and often funny as hell, this will be a masterclass in dropping pellets (sorry, bombs). Support comes from Jam Baxter, Cracker Job, DJ Fingerfood, Motion Enterprise and Luui (Fauve Collective). Full details and ticket link here.

Rave On Avon
Stokes Croft, Sat, May 16

Originally the all-night party wing of Brisfest, this is now well established as an event in its own right. It’s nothing less than an all-night Stokes Croft takeover, with Lakota, Blue Mountain, The Canteen, The Full Moon among the venues involved. The big names include Randall and DJ SS, and there are contingents from Bristol institutions such as Neverlution, Tremor, Bristek, 4 Seasons and Idle Hands. Don’t miss Mr Whompy, possibly the world’s only ice cream van soundsystem. More here.

Kinetic presents Let It Roll 
Lakota, Fri, May 22  

The world’s biggest drum and bass festival, Let It Roll takes place this summer somewhere in the Czech Republic. This official warmup event is a big deal in its own right, with Dillinja, Break, Audio, Maztek, Emperor and Amen jungle master Remarc among those lining up to put the immense (96 kilowatt) Valve Sound System through its paces. Event page here.

Love Saves The Day 
Eastville Park, May 23 and 24

It would be criminal to publish a roundup of May highlights and not mention Love Saves The Day. The two-day outdoor blowout returns at the end of the month with everyone from U.S rapper Azealia Banks to tech-house godhead Craig Richards and our very own Julio Bashmore in tow. If you’re there on the Saturday try not to miss Jackmaster, who in our opinion is one of the finest DJs in the UK right now. Full lineup and tickets at www.lovesavestheday.org

So Solid Crew meets The Bug
Old Crown Courts, Sat May 30 

Yes, you did read that right. Wonka Vision and The ASBO Disco team up for one of the most momentous pairings in recent musical history. So Solid Crew – or Romeo, Harvey, Megaman and Oxide to be precise – headline Room One with support from fellow garage legend Scott ‘It’s A London Thing’ Garcia. Meanwhile, Kevin Martin aka The Bug brings sonic devastation to the second room with assistance on the mic from Roll Deep member Manga and Israeli MC Miss Red. Event page here.