Plan ahead for Diamond Jubilee weekend
Visit Directgov website to help you get the most from the events
People planning to travel to London to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are being urged to plan ahead.
The capital will play host to a series of high-profile events and will be particularly busy across the whole of the weekend.
Spectators should visit the Directgov website for further information on the events and their timetables, transport and road closures. The Transport for London (TfL) website will help people plan their travel to events and their journey home.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “The Jubilee weekend promises to be a wonderful celebration of what makes the UK great, and a chance for us all to mark a magnificent milestone in The Queen’s reign. Billions will enjoy it on TV but massive numbers will also be coming to London to enjoy it in person.
“If you’re one of those, please take extra care to make sure you get home safely. Public transport will be very busy and there will be some road closures so please plan ahead to get the most from your weekend.”
Visitors should also make sure they bring anything they will need during the day, such as regular medication and sun cream or waterproof clothing depending on the weather. There will be toilets and food concessions at all the key locations and the St John Ambulance will provide several first aid points.
The main events in London are:
2 June
- On Saturday Hyde Park will play host to Sainsbury’s Diamond Jubilee Family Festival
- During the day, the Queen will attend the Epsom Derby. For further information about the event, visit the Epsom Downs website
- At Horse Guards Parade the Major General’s Review and the Colonel’s Review are Trooping the Colour dress rehearsals for the Queen’s Birthday Parade on 16 June
3 June - The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
- Details of the route are available online and the Thames Pageant will announce on 17 May how and where to watch the event, including the locations of big screens
- The Diamond Jubilee Festival will take place in Battersea Park with a view of the river pageant. Tickets are now sold out, however you can still get a view of the pageant by checking the route map
- Due to a number of road and bridge closures, motorists are advised to avoid central London for all but essential journeys, and a number of bus diversions will be in place
3 June - Big Jubilee Lunch / Street Parties
- Piccadilly will be pedestrianized from 11.30am-6.00pm for the Piccadilly Big Jubilee Lunch street party. You can register your interest in attending online
- Other Big Jubilee Lunches will take place throughout the capital and the UK
4 June - The Diamond Jubilee Concert and National Beacon Lighting, Buckingham Palace/The Mall
- Check the time of your last train and allow plenty of time to get to the station as there will be no additional late night trains Tubes and buses are expected to be busier than normal
- Big screens showing the concert live will be in Hyde Park, St James’s Park and the Mall
5 June - Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Ceremonial Procession
- There will be a carriage procession from the Palace of Westminster to Buckingham Palace. The route is on the Diamond Jubilee website
- It will also be shown on big screens in Hyde Park, St James’s Park and Trafalgar Square