Pssst! We wrote this article especially for 1 April 2026.
Leicester Square will reopen to cars, buses and other proper vehicles by September.
The surprise announcement follows recent news that Oxford Circus is to be partially pedestrianised by September. "In order to take the strain from the closure of what is a major London artery," says Phoebe Palter from the London Roads Authority, "we've deemed it necessary to re-divert some traffic to nearby areas."
While all four sides of Leicester Square are resurfaced to accommodate vehicles, the Official London Theatre Ticket Booth will be painted green and used as a cabbie's shelter, and the central gardens "sympathetically transformed into a mass docking station for 500 Lime Bikes". There are also suggestions the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square could become a drive-through cinema.
Meanwhile, Westminster Council are looking at ways to retain a small plaza in front of the M&Ms store, noting the importance of this cultural institution to the local area.
Nearby Trafalgar Square is also being considered for similar 'unpedestrianisation', reinstalling the road that once ran directly in front of the National Gallery, while the bookish Cecil Court could be turned into a dedicated highway for electric e-scooters. The rolling project will be partly funded by the taxpayer, with sponsorship from Lime Bikes and Cerithium Oil making up the rest.
Fully pedestrianised since 1987, Leicester Square is a magnet for visitors looking to indulge in London's foodie scene (both the McDonald's and Gregg's here are well above average size), or to glimpse red carpet appearances at glitzy film premieres for movies which have included Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and groundbreaking psychodrama Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
The area's cinema heritage has long been celebrated by a series of statues; to coincide with the new through-route for traffic, a trio of red, white and blue Mini Coopers will be added to the Square, representing the iconic cars from The Italian Job (they'll be the models from the superior 2003 remake).
Though proposals for Leicester Square's unpedestrianisation have already prompted ire from local heritage groups, many motorists will view the news as a small victory. In particular, London's rickshaw operators — who've had a tough time of it lately — will be buoyed. Due to historical byways, they will be able to use Leicester Square with impunity, with no restrictions on speed, fares or how loud they blast out 'Last Christmas', even though it's only late September.
Last year, a ban on Leicester Square's buskers was enforced, a move that, in hindsight, was the first step in clearing the way for traffic. Expect to hear the pneumatic drills get to work at 12pm today, 1 April.
