What to do
Whatever you do, please don’t try and drive to the Show! There’s nowhere to park and the roads are all closed for the day. Have a look at our getting there guide for lots of easy alternatives.
The Lord Mayor's procession sets off from Guildhall at 11am on November 12th. It travels down to Mansion House then crosses the City via Bank and St Pauls to deliver the new Lord Mayor to the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand at about 12.40. While the Lord Mayor pledges loyalty in the ancient ceremony, the procession re-forms for the return leg, which sets off down the Embankment at 1pm and finishes back at Mansion House around 2.30.
People will start taking their places quite early in the morning and by 10.30 the streets around Bank and Mansion House will be full, but you can get a good view from anywhere on the route. Download our app or this printable map and choose somewhere that's handy for you to get to. For the outward journey, Mansion House and St Paul's are full of action (the BBC cameras will be at Mansion House, as usual), but they tend to get very crowded. On the return leg, Queen Victoria St and Embankment are good places to watch.
A limited number of grandstand seats are available each year, including places reserved for disabled people.
After the Show
The Lord Mayor finishes his return journey to Mansion House at about half past two. Most people stay for the whole Show, so the streets will still be busy, but now you have a couple of hours to rest, find a cup of tea and enjoy a rare car-free chance to explore the other attractions of the City.
At 3pm The City of London's Guide Lecturers are providing free walking tours of the area. They set off from Number 1 Poultry, which is at the end of Cheapside and very near Mansion House (and marked on the map), and they will deliver you to the river in plenty of time for the fireworks.
End the day with a bang
If you're coming to the Show, you must stay for the fireworks. They start at 5pm, when the new Lord Mayor will launch the display to mark the start of his year in office, and continue for over half an hour. It's one of London's grandest fireworks displays, and always looks fantastic over the river.
The fireworks are launched from a barge moored on the Thames between Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges: you can see them from anywhere in the area, but for the best effect you need to be at the riverside. We would recommend Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge or anywhere on the South Bank between the National Theatre and the Tate Modern.
By this stage all the roads will be open again, the buses running and the journey home should be easy. Relax, enjoy the Show, go for a wander and then choose a good spot for the fireworks: we promise it'll be a day to remember.
