Lord Mayor’s Show
Mansion House Walbrook London EC4N 8BH
It’s the longest, oldest and most popular civic procession in the world, and takes place annually in November – the Lord Mayor’s Show is quite an event to celebrate someone most Londoners would struggle to name. A three-mile-long procession with 6000 participants, marching bands, dancers and performers, as well as over 100 decorated floats, it follows the new Lord Mayor in his or her gilded state coach to swear a pledge of allegiance at the Law Courts. The day’s celebrations are nicely rounded off with a 30-minute firework display launched from a barge moored on the River Thames between Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges. The organisers recommend watching from Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, or anywhere on the South Bank between the National Theatre and Tate Modern. (Note: Blackfriars Bridge is reserved for disabled people and families with small children.)