An age-old London tradition, the Lord Mayor’s show takes place every year and stretched back to the diary of Pepys and mentioned by Hogarth. When in 1215, King John issued a royal charter allowing the city to elect its own Mayor each year, he set a special condition; the new mayor must leave London city and travel to Westminster and swear loyalty to the crown. Today, the Lord Mayor’s procession is a faithful following of tradition, albeit with some changes to the original route and date over the years. The Mayor will travel in a 250-year-old state coach with pikemen through the busy streets as Londoners celebrate the tradition.
The day starts at 11am with the world-famous procession – join the crowds along the three-mile route between Bank, St Pauls and the Royal Courts. The procession takes an hour to pass each spot, containing flotillas, marching bands and performers galore from local communities and companies.
There will be a fairground in Paternoster Square and around St Paul’s with an archive film show, art installations and street theater too. Look out for dancing wheelie bins, undersea adventures and an entirely factless tour of London – everything is family friendly and there will be plenty of delicious food stalls too. By Mansion House, the Bloomsberg Arcade will be hosting music and sound installations, the live performances and the Museum of London Archaeology’s Time Truck. There will also be an Employment and Experience showcase for anyone looking to try new opportunities.
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| Entry: | Free |
| Closest station(s): | Bank, St Pauls, Blackfriars, Mansion House |
| Web: | https://lordmayorsshow.lon... |
| Area: | Blackfriars, London Bridge, St Paul's |