What is the Lord Mayor's Show?
The annual event takes place in the City of London, celebrating the new Lord Mayor taking on the role. This longstanding tradition is bursting with pomp and ceremony — marching bands, bells pealing, a golden coach: the works.
In 1215, King John was persuaded to let the City of London elect its own mayor, with one major condition; each year the new mayor must travel from the City to Westminster to swear loyalty to the crown. Those are the origins of the Lord Mayor's Show which has run for more than 800 years, despite some major obstacles, not least 2020's Covid-19 pandemic, which saw plans for the event cancelled entirely.
When is the Lord Mayor's Show 2024?
The Lord Mayor's Show takes place on Saturday 9 November 2024, beginning at 11am.
Who is the new Lord Mayor in 2024?
Alderman Alistair King has been announced as the 696th Lord Mayor of London, who will take office in November 2024.
He takes the reins from Alderman Michael Mainelli.
Lord Mayor's Show and Parade events and route: schedule of the day
At 11am precisely (there's no question the military is involved in this event), the parade begins to leave Mansion House, the Lord Mayor's official residence.
It's an epic three-mile long procession (the procession being longer than the actual route), taking about an hour and a quarter to pass a single point. It winds its way through the City, beginning at Mansion House, via Cheapside and St Paul's Cathedral (approx 11.13pm), and arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice around 11.30pm.
At this point, the new Lord Mayor spends some time inside the Royal Courts to swear an oath of allegiance, before rejoining the procession at Temple Place (1.10pm) and heading back to Mansion House. If you want a quieter or less crowded experience, head to the Embankment area between 1.15pm-2.30pm to watch the parade on its return journey.
Following the procession, free walks led by City of London guides are available from outside Bank, between 3pm-4pm. You can also usually get free entry to the cathedral floor at St Paul's Cathedral until 3.30pm, or ascend to the Dome Galleries for just £10, though this too is likely to be very busy — we're awaiting confirmation that this is happening in 2024.
Who's in the Lord Mayor's Parade 2024?
It's a three-mile long procession, so they pack a lot in. 7,000 people, 250 horses, and over 50 decorated floats are expected to take part this year. The full participant list will be available on the Lord Mayor's Show website closer to the time, but it usually includes military bands, Taiko drummers, mounted knights, and has on occasion included a 1955 Austin Champ... and a large inflatable pig.
Representatives from charities, schools, community groups, musicians, performers, financial institutions, military bands, and Livery companies will be involved.
The absolute highlight, though, is the golden State Coach, used in every Lord Mayor's Show since 1757, and the oldest ceremonial vehicle in regular use in the world. It's previously been on show in the Museum of London, but it's now in storage ahead of the museum's move.
Where to watch the Lord Mayor's Show and Parade 2024
It's free to stand and watch the procession — the world's oldest and longest civic procession — pretty much anywhere along the route, and around 350,000 are expected to turn up to do so this year.
The procession can be seen between 11am-12pm in the area between Bank and St Paul's, but lesser-known is the stretch between Temple and Blackfriars on the return journey, which draws smaller crowds. Get to this area between 1.15pm-2.30pm.
Remember, if you want to see the full length of the parade, it's expected to take an hour and a quarter to pass you so... comfy shoes, and maybe a cagoule, this being London.
Here's a look at the 2019 Lord Mayor's Show, to give you an idea of what to expect:
Is the Lord Mayor's Show shown on TV?
If you can't make it in person, there will be live coverage on BBC One and online.
Getting to the Lord Mayor's Show
Be aware that there are road closures right along the route and the surrounding roads on the day of the Lord Mayor's Parade, with many buses on diversion. Getting to the event by car, bus or bike is not an option. Your best bet is to get to one of the nearest train or tube stations, and walk from there. We recommend Bank or St Paul's stations.
What's the Lord Mayor's 'ghost parade'
Once a year, in the early hours of the morning (from 3.30am), the City of London's streets come alive with horses, carriages and police, for an event informally known as the 'ghost parade'. It's the rehearsal for the Lord Mayor's Show, when the organisers take advantage of the lack of traffic to check the parade's timings, to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day. We went along in 2019.
The Lord Mayor's Show takes place on 9 November 2024. Keep an eye on the official website for the latest updates.
