Lady Mayor's Parade at the Mansion house, City of London, November 2025

❰ View on Map Updated: 1 week ago

Details

Accessibility

https://lordmayorsshow.london/practicalities/access

Brief description

https://lordmayorsshow.london/history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Mayor%27s_Show

2025: "The Lord Mayor's Show or Lady Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century.[1] A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as their inauguration ceremony reflects that this was once one of the most prominent offices in England and subsequently the United Kingdom.

The show is named after the Lord Mayor of the City of London, a city and ceremonial county within Greater London and the historic centre of the wider metropolis. This is distinct from the Mayor of London, the elected head of the Greater London Authority (a position which has existed only since 2000). The City is London's main financial district, widely known informally as 'the Square Mile'.

The Lord Mayor's Show is centred on a street parade, which in its modern form is a light-hearted combination of traditional British pageantry and elements of carnival. On the day after being sworn in, the Lord Mayor and several others participate in a procession from Guildhall, via Mansion House and St Paul's Cathedral, in the heart of the City of London, to the Royal Courts of Justice on the edge of the City of Westminster, where the new Lord Mayor swears allegiance to the Crown. Until 1882, the procession went to Westminster Hall.[2] 

The Great Twelve City Livery Companies — the MercersGrocersDrapersFishmongersGoldsmithsMerchant Taylors*, Skinners*, HaberdashersSaltersIronmongersVintners and Clothworkers — participate as of right and the other livery companies by invitation, though the Lord Mayor's "mother company" is always included: in 2019 this was the Haberdashers' Company.

Other participants include bands and members of "privileged regiments" of the City of London such as the Honourable Artillery Company and The Royal Fusiliers. Privileged regiments have the right to march through the City with bayonets fixed, colours flying, and drums beating.

Gog and Magog are two woven willow giant reproductions of a pair of statues in the Guildhall. These popular icons reflect the pre-Roman legendary past of the City of London and they too are paraded by volunteers from The Guild of Young Freemen each year. The most recent representations were created by members of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers."

Address

Mansion House

Walbrook

London

EC4N 8BH

Email

lms@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Phone


Website

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/lord-mayors-show

https://lordmayorsshow.london/

https://www.facebook.com/TheLordMayorsShow/

Directions


Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

Transport

"Cars and buses are not allowed into the CIty on Show day. Tubes, boats and bicycles are much better, the Elizabeth Line station at Farringdon is well placed and there are many nice ways to walk into the City when it is free of traffic."

Amenities


Travel Information

For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info

Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)

NB London ULTRA-LOW EMISSION ZONE

This started on 8 April 2019 in the Central London Congestion Charge Zone, and will extend to the whole of the London area within the M25 Motorway from 25 October 2021.
For more details please see: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle-35896

Vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class will benefit from a grace period after the ULEZ starts until 26 October 2025 as long as their vehicle doesn't change tax class, and this also applies to a 'disabled' vehicle registered outside the UK.