An age-old London tradition, the Lord Mayor’s show takes place every year. It was even mentioned in the diary of Pepys–known diarist and cheese burier. 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. Check out the procession schedule if you’d like to have any clue who’s doing what.
There will be a fairground in Paternoster Square and around St Paul’s. Everything is family friendly and there will be plenty of delicious food stalls too. There’s also plenty on by Bloomberg Arcade—the other designated “Festival Zone”. Last year’s highlights included a hip-hop dance troupe, the archeological “Time Tuck” and the rather steampunk “Submercycle“.
Want to know where to actually stand? The official website lists a few prime spots. Things are scheduled to wrap up around 4 pm.
